One of the New York Jets’ more high-upside free agent additions this offseason was the signing of guard Dylan Parham on a two-year, $20 million deal.
Speaking to reporters at the Jets’ mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, head coach Aaron Glenn shared that the main reason behind the move was because of his connection to quarterback Geno Smith.
“Yeah, well, the thing is, he was with Geno (Smith) before,” said Glenn. “So, he understands Geno and how he operates, but he was also a good player that we just wanted to bring in the fold. And once you bring a new player inside, it’s important that he understands how those other four guys operate, and he’s done that.”
Smith and Parham overlapped with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. While the Raiders’ offensive line as a whole was atrocious, Parham stood out.
In 2025, his 63.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 14th among qualified left guards, while being the highest overall mark among all qualified Raiders offensive linemen (minimum 500 snaps).
During the 2024 season, he was even more impressive, with a 74.3 overall grade per PFF that ranked 10th among qualified right guards.
Throughout his career, he has also remained very healthy. Since being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Raiders, he has started 63 of a possible 68 games while appearing in a total of 64 matchups.
He is expected to be an upgrade over John Simpson, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency after spending the past two seasons as the Jets’ left guard.
Overall, Parham should play an integral role in the Jets’ offensive line taking another stride in 2026.
