This offseason, the New York Jets have done a tremendous job of improving positions of need through both the draft and the free agent market.
Here are the top three areas where the Jets have upgraded the most this offseason.
3. Pass catcher
In 2025, the Jets’ pass-catching corps was among the league’s weakest.
Despite playing in only seven games, Garrett Wilson led the team with 395 receiving yards.
The Jets’ need to find a viable WR2 was discussed ad nauseam entering the 2025 season. New York seemingly felt they didn’t need to add an established option behind Wilson, and that ultimately came back to bite them.
This offseason, though, the Jets addressed WR2 in the first round of the NFL draft, trading up to secure Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. The team also added tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall, who will immediately contribute as a pass catcher from both in-line and slot alignments.
From those two selections alone, the Jets’ pass-catching room has been boosted drastically.
Cooper Jr. has experience carrying heavy workloads at both the X and Y receiver positions. When used as a deep threat at Indiana in 2024, he reeled in 28 receptions for 594 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 21.2 yards per catch. When he was moved to a heavy slot role in 2025, he still thrived, posting 937 yards and 13 touchdowns on 69 receptions while tying for the fourth-most forced missed tackles among FBS receivers (27).
As for Sadiq, he is freakishly athletic, having broken multiple records at the NFL Scouting Combine, including the fastest-ever 40-yard dash by a tight end (4.39). His ability to play both in the slot and in-line will be highly valuable for the Jets, which allows him to be integrated smoothly alongside Mason Taylor, whom the team drafted in the second round last year.
While it would have been nice to see the team add a veteran WR early in free agency, they ultimately made up for it and then some with their selections of Sadiq and Cooper Jr.
2. Defensive line
The Jets have made a flurry of moves across the defensive line this offseason.
Before the free agent floodgates opened, the team traded edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat in a player-for-player swap.
On the free agent market, New York added two more edge rushers in Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare, alongside veteran DT David Onyemata.
In the draft, the team selected Texas Tech edge David Bailey at No. 2 overall and Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. in the fourth round.
The team’s defensive line rotation is expected to look entirely different than last year’s, and that should be for the better. Last season, New York’s production up front was abysmal. They ranked 31st in sacks (26) while also struggling against the run, allowing 139.5 rushing yards per game, the fourth-most in the league.
Off the edge, Ossai and Enagbare will certainly help improve the Jets’ run defense, while Onyemata and Sweat will do the same inside. All four of those players have proven to defend the run at a high level in the NFL.
While Bailey’s poor run defense may hinder his immediate role with the team, he will provide significant pass-rushing juice, having led the FBS in both sacks (14.5) and total pressures (81) last season.
Jackson Jr. is an intriguing piece. Speaking to the media during rookie minicamp, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn revealed that the team plans to use him across the defensive line, which makes a lot of sense based on his versatile usage in college. The team’s selection of him was wise, as they landed a player on Day 3 who can contribute right away.
1. Safety
No position on the roster has been improved more than safety.
After trading next to nothing for Minkah Fitzpatrick while signing Dane Belton on a one-year deal, the Jets used the veteran market to turn a glaring weakness into a sneaky area of strength.
In 2025, the Jets counted on free agent pickup Andre Cisco to turn around their safety unit. Cisco got off to a poor start before suffering a season-ending injury. In turn, the Jets became heavily reliant on players like Tony Adams, Malachi Moore, and Isaiah Oliver.
Adams logged a career-high 15.5% missed tackle rate, while Oliver’s 44.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 94th among 98 qualified safeties. Moore, a fourth-round rookie, flashed promise, but had his ups and downs.
Here is a look at the Jets’ current depth chart at safety.
- Minkah Fitzpatrick (FS)
- Dane Belton (SS)
- Malachi Moore (SS)
- Andre Cisco (FS)
- Dean Clarke (FS)
- VJ Payne (FS)
- Jarius Monroe (SS)
- Keidron Smith (FS)
The room looks much more promising. Fitzpatrick is one of the league’s best players at the position. Belton poses tremendous upside. Adams is out of the picture, and Cisco is now the No. 4 instead of the No. 1.
Ultimately, the Jets improved in myriad facets this offseason, but safety stands out as the most glaring improvement.
