A large portion of the New York Jets’ roster features players in their first season with the organization.

However, there is also a flurry of veterans who are looking to fend off the team’s new additions and retain their roles from last season.

Ultimately, though, the Jets’ depth chart will look different by the end of training camp, and after a 3-14 season, that’s exactly what should happen.

With competition heating up across the roster, here are two veterans whose roles could be most challenged this summer.

Harrison Phillips, DT

Harrison Phillips is in a fascinating position with the Jets.

He is currently under contract with the team through this season, with a cap hit of $7.5 million. However, none of that money is guaranteed; therefore, the Jets can waive him without any dead money and create an additional $7.5 million in cap space.

I would be stunned if they waived him. Not only do the Jets seem to really value the veteran DT, with the vast majority of free agency already in the books, but having that additional cap space really wouldn’t do much.

As I’ve suggested, the Jets should look to restructure Phillips’ deal by tacking a few more years onto the contract, guaranteeing more money, and reducing the cap hit.

The Jets did something similar to that with C.J. Mosley in 2024.

That isn’t even a reason he found himself on this list, though. Largely, it’s due to how crowded the Jets’ defensive tackle room has become.

After drafting Darrell Jackson Jr., while signing David Onyemata and trading for T’Vondre Sweat this offseason, there is bound to be a lot of competition for snaps on the interior of the Jets’ defensive line.

Last season, Phillips finished the year with 34 solo tackles, two sacks, 29 stops, eight hurries, and a forced fumble. Most notably, he was an excellent run defender, earning a 76.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, the sixth-best grade among 134 qualified DTs.

Not to mention, Jowon Briggs is entering his second year with the team after really breaking out down the stretch last season following the Quinnen Williams trade.

Given that, Briggs is likely to take on an increased workload at the start of this season as well. Undoubtedly, he is the best pass rusher the Jets currently have in their DT room, which is highly valuable.

Ultimately, Phillips will still have a role with the Jets in 2026; it just most likely won’t be as prominent as last year due to the additions Gang Green made at defensive tackle this offseason.

Brandon Stephens, CB

Last year, Brandon Stephens started all 16 games he appeared in for the Jets.

Especially after trading Sauce Gardner, aside from rookie Azareye’h Thomas, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in December, there was little competition for snaps in the Jets’ CB room.

While Stephens was far from perfect, the alternatives included players like Qwan’tez Stiggers, Ja’Sir Taylor and Tre Brown—players who haven’t established that they can play in the NFL on the defensive end of the ball.

To sum up Stephens’ 2025 campaign, it was up and down. Throughout the season’s first three games, he was one of the worst CBs in football, allowing 11 of 15 throws into his coverage to be completed for 104 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions, zero pass breakups, and a penalty.

He dropped what would have been a crucial interception for the Jets during their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, from Weeks 4-13, he turned his performance around, grading out as one of the NFL’s most effective CBs.

Here are his numbers over that span, along with his ranks among 71 cornerbacks with at least 300 snaps:

  • PFF Overall Grade: 80.5 (3rd)
  • PFF Coverage Grade: 79.7 (3rd)
  • PFF Run Defense Grade: 76.2 (8th)
  • Yards Allowed Per Snap: 0.70 (13th)
  • Yards Allowed Per Target: 5.82 (13th)
  • TD% Allowed: 0.62% (33rd)
  • Pass Breakup Rate: 15.4% (11th)
  • Passer Rating Allowed 90.4 (35th)
  • Completion % Allowed: 56.4% (19th)
  • Defensive Stops Per Game: 2.0 (2nd)
  • Defensive Stops Per Snap: 3.13% (12th)

Despite that, though, he finished the year similarly to how he opened it. Throughout the Jets’ final four games, he allowed 14 of 16 targets to be completed for 178 yards and one touchdown, with no INTs or PBUs.

Altogether, the negatives outweighed the positives as the former Baltimore Raven finished the year allowing eight touchdowns, the second-most among CBs, and a 126.4 passer rating, the fourth-worst mark in the league.

Now Stephens will have legitimate competition for snaps.

Thomas is fully healthy and entering his second season in the league; Nahshon Wright, whom the Jets added in free agency this offseason, and second-round rookie D’Angelo Ponds have also entered the picture.

After getting handed premium starting reps last season, Stephens will need to show he deserves the role over the summer.