Last season, the New York Jets lacked a true game-changer on the defensive side of the ball, especially after Sauce Gardner was traded away at the trade deadline.
Now, after finishing 2025 with one of the league’s worst defensive units, the Jets have a new-look defense entering 2026.
Furthermore, they are looking for difference makers to establish a firm identity for the unit.
FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur recently listed the biggest “X-Factors” for every AFC team ahead of the 2026 season, and for New York, he named newly signed cornerback Nahshon Wright.
“The Jets failed to record a single interception last season, so they desperately need more defensive playmaking in 2026,” Arthur wrote. “If Wright plays to the level he did in Chicago in 2025 — five interceptions en route to Pro Bowl honors — New York could have a competitive defense under coach Aaron Glenn.”
I know everyone is tired of hearing it, but as Arthur noted, the Jets made history last season, going the entire season without an interception.
Given that, it was seemingly a no-brainer to sign Wright this offseason on a very team-friendly deal (only $3.5 million in guaranteed money).
After signing with the Chicago Bears for the league minimum last season, he emerged as an elite ball-hawker. Wright posted five interceptions, leading all NFL cornerbacks while earning Pro-Bowl honors.
He also forced two fumbles and recovered three more, meaning he was accountable for a whopping 10 takeaways last year. For context, the Jets generated just four takeaways as a team last year.
Now, Wright is looking to bring that same playmaking prowess to the Big Apple.
However, he is far from a complete player. There was a reason the Jets got him on such a cheap deal. While he was among the best CBs on the ball, his struggles in coverage were evident.
In coverage last year, he surrendered 725 yards and seven touchdowns on throws in his direction, while joining Washington’s Mike Sainristil as one of two CBs to allow over 700 yards and seven touchdowns in coverage.
As our own Michael Nania broke down, Wright is certainly a boom-or-bust player. His play from last season is a perfect example of that.
However, it is certainly justifiable for Arthur to list Wright as the Jets’ X-Factor for the 2026 season.
If he is able to remain an elite ball hawker while fine-tuning his coverage skills, Wright has the potential to have a monster season with Gang Green.
The good news is he has gotten off to a strong start this spring, per our Robby Sabo, who has been in Florham Park throughout the Jets’ offseason workouts thus far.
Of course, it’s important to keep everything in perspective. The pads are not on, and given that, results in offseason practices always come with an asterisk. However, it’s still a positive signal heading into training camp.
Overall, Wright has the potential to become the game-changing presence the Jets lacked in their secondary last season.
