The New York Jets’ edge room was atrocious last season. There’s no way around that statement.

While the team’s defense as a whole was among the league’s worst, the edge position was a glaring weakness that stuck out even more than usual.

A disappointing 2025

Will McDonald’s production dipped compared to 2024, Jermaine Johnson didn’t live up to expectations in his first year back from an Achilles tear, while the likes of Micheal Clemons and Braiden McGregor were full-blown liabilities.

New York’s 26 sacks ranked 31st in the league, while it also struggled mightily against the run, allowing 139.5 rushing yards per game, the fourth-worst mark in the league.

This offseason, the organization, rightfully so, made revamping the room a priority. Most notably, the team selected Texas Tech’s David Bailey at No. 2 overall in the NFL draft, the prospect who led the FBS in sacks and pressures last season.

On the free agent market, the Jets added former Cincinnati Bengals edge Joseph Ossai and former Green Bay Packers edge Kingsley Enagbare.

While Ossai and Enagbare don’t provide the same pass-rushing juice that Bailey does, they will help the team out significantly in a key area: run defense.

How Ossai and Enagbare boost the Jets’ run defense

Last season, Ossai and Enagbare were each solid run defenders.

Among 53 qualified edge defenders, here is how Ossai stacked up in key categories:

  • 70.7 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus (13th)
  • 20 tackles (31st)
  • 13 stops (37th)
  • 6.4% stop rate (22nd)

Now, here’s a look at Enagbare in those same categories:

  • 60.9 run defense grade from PFF (32nd)
  • 26 tackles (11th)
  • 15 stops (28th)
  • 7.6% stop rate (12th)

That should be a sizeable boost for a unit that was unwatchable last season. Enagbare and Ossai are the type of players who can play all three downs without being a liability in a particular facet.

In a 4-3 base, Ossai projects as the team’s strong-side defensive end, while Enagbare has shown the ability to play the weakside edge role in a 3-4. Outside linebackers in a 3-4 set, especially the weak-side outside linebacker, need to be complete players who can consistently set the edge, and Enagbare offers just that.

They also aren’t complete non-starters as pass-rushers. Over the past two seasons, Ossai has collected 10 sacks and 74 pressures, while Enagbare has produced eight sacks and 49 pressures.

Regardless, though, the presence of both Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare will undoubtedly improve the New York Jets’ run defense off the edge in 2026.