Everything on the football field begins in the trenches. You won’t find a successful defense in today’s NFL that doesn’t own the line of scrimmage.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, New York Jets defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat emphasized how much the team emphasizes not only winning up front, but particularly stopping the run.
“That’s what we preach on, is stopping the run. I feel like we’ve got a great group of guys for that,” he said.
In 2025, the Jets were one of the worst teams in the league against the run. Gang Green allowed 139.5 rushing yards per game, ranking 29th.
The team completely revamped its defensive line this offseason, especially when it comes to run support. Aside from Sweat, who has been one of the league’s best run stuffers throughout his two years in the NFL, the Jets added plenty of other proven veteran run stoppers.
Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare both graded out well as run-defending EDGEs last season. Ossai’s 70.7 run defense grade at Pro Football Focus finished 13th among 53 qualified edge rushers last year. As for Enagbare, his 7.6% run stop rate, per PFF, ranked 12th.
David Onyemata will also play a role in the team’s turnaround in stopping the run. While he doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher at 33 years old, he remains one of the league’s best run stoppers.
Out of 134 qualified defensive tackles, Onyemata’s 74.2 run defense grade from PFF finished eighth while his 42 solo tackles also ranked ninth at the position.
Overall, the Jets are counting on their revamped front to repair one of their biggest weaknesses last season.
