What does a “multiple defense” mean? Is it just about what kind of alignment (3-4 or 4-3) the front seven will be in?

“We will be a multiple defense,” said New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn of the team’s defensive approach in 2026. “So, there will be elements of 4-3, there will be elements of 3-4. And I think sometimes, [the label] is overblown; when you look at it, you’re in nickel like 70% of the time. So, you’re in a four-down spacing for the most part.

New York’s “multiple” defense under Glenn will affect more than just the alignment of the front seven. It will also demand versatility from the secondary.

A versatile defense needs players who can play different roles at all levels of the field. If a safety can operate in the box, at nickel, or in deep coverage, he can fundamentally shift how an entire unit looks.

That’s precisely why the Jets acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins. Fitzpatrick’s ability to both play the run and dominate in one-on-one coverage situations makes him one of the better safeties in football, even at 29 years old.

That impact could turn the Jets’ defense into something fans have never been before.

Fitzpatrick’s impact on Jets

New York has had a top-five defense before. With All-Pros like defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner, the Jets had a stretch from 2022 to 2024 in which they finished in the top five in total defense each year.

But none of those defenses had a dominant safety to use as a chess piece.

Fitzpatrick’s arrival is something the Jets will use to their advantage across the field. Defensive coordinator Brian Duker, who coached Fitzpatrick when the two were in Miami last season, understands the impact of the three-time All-Pro.

“It’s certainly beneficial for the defense,” he said Wednesday. “It allows us to present multiple looks to the offense. It helps you in the event of injury to be able to adjust and get your best guys out there. In today’s football, where it’s getting less and less position based, it’s very important to have guys with versatility.”

That versatility brought in by Fitzpatrick will be felt throughout the Jets’ defense in 2026. But he won’t be the only player with that kind of skillset. New York’s front is littered with players who fit that bill, including defensive tackle David Onyemata and second overall pick David Bailey.

Even the Jets’ second-round pick, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, projects as a player who could line up either in the slot or on the boundary. Each player brought into the defense over the course of the offseason brings the same type of versatility as Fitzpatrick.

That’s something Duker is thrilled to work with going into 2026.

“Just very impressed with Moug [GM Darren Mougey] and what they’ve done,” Duker said. “I think he very clearly sees what the goal is, what the vision of the defense is, and what it should look like, and has certainly added players that fit that vision and guys that can help us.”

New York’s defense will look vastly different from the last few years. Fitzpatrick’s versatility will be a driving force in that identity shift.