With training camp less than a week away, several questions remain on the New York Jets’ depth chart.
A handful of veteran free agents are still available. General manager Darren Mougey could look to the open market to bolster the roster ahead of the 2025 season.
Here are three players Mougey should covet.
Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB
Bentley remains one of the more intriguing names still available on the open market.
A fifth-round pick out of Purdue in 2018, Bentley started 68 of 83 games over seven seasons with the Patriots. He was released by New England after missing most of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Bentley appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve.
That setback came on the heels of a strong 2023 campaign in which Bentley served as a consistent presence in the middle of New England’s defense. He started all 16 games that season, tallying 114 total tackles (five for loss) while adding 4.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
At 28 years old, Bentley offers the kind of experience and stability that could prove valuable to the Jets, who have questionable depth at linebacker behind Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood.
Bentley has a career missed tackle rate of 9.2%, which is better than the position average and lower than the 2024 rates of both Sherwood (10.7%) and Williams (12.7%).
While he’s not a game-changer, Bentley’s skill set as a physical run defender and sure tackler makes him an asset as a rotational piece or injury insurance.
Za’Darius Smith, EDGE
Smith may be on the back nine of his career, but the veteran edge rusher still brings a blend of production and leadership that teams crave, and the Jets could use both.
The 32-year-old was cut by the Lions in early March after a strong finish to the 2024 season. Smith opened the year in Cleveland before being dealt to Detroit in November, where he thrived under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. In just eight games with the Lions, Smith racked up 36 pressures, tied for the third-most among all edge defenders from Weeks 11 to 18. He added four sacks.
Across 17 games split between the Browns and Lions, Smith logged nine sacks and tied for 10th in pressures (60) among edge rushers. Even as he enters his 11th NFL season, the veteran remains a disruptive force off the edge.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 270 pounds, Smith also brings some value as a run defender. He posted a 62.8 run-defense grade in 2024, per Pro Football Focus, solid enough to outpace every Jets edge rusher last season outside of Eric Watts.
Smith would bring much-needed experience to a Jets defensive front that is in transition. With Glenn now running New York’s defense, a reunion makes even more sense. Glenn has praised Smith not just for his talent, but for his infectious energy and physical style of play.
“He really fits who we are,” Glenn said last November. “Personality out of this world, energy out of this world… He brings violence, he brings physicality.”
For a Jets team looking to raise its defensive ceiling while setting a tone under a regime, Smith is an excellent option.
Gabe Davis, WR
Desperate for wide receiver depth, Gabe Davis should be on the Jets’ radar.
A fourth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2020 NFL draft, Davis spent four seasons with the Jets’ division rivals. Over five NFL seasons, the UCF product has totaled 183 receptions for 2,969 yards and 29 touchdowns.
During his time in Buffalo, Davis thrived as the secondary option behind All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs. He is an appealing option to reprise that role in New York, complementing Garrett Wilson in an offense still searching for a reliable No. 2.
Davis’ best stretch came from 2022 to 2023, when he caught 93 passes for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns in 32 games. He was efficient as Josh Allen’s second option, producing 17.0 yards per reception over this span.
The success in Buffalo earned Davis a three-year, $39 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. However, Davis struggled to find his footing. He caught just 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games before he suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in November.
Jacksonville released Davis in May with a failed physical designation. It remains unclear when he will be ready to return from his injury, or how he will look upon returning.
Despite the down year, Davis’ career average of 16.2 yards per reception remains second-best among active players with at least 300 targets, a testament to his capability as a big-play threat and a reliable No. 2 target.
The Jets need a dependable presence to help divert attention from their top weapon. If the Jets are confident in Davis’ recovery, he is a solid candidate to fill that void.
