In 2025, the New York Jets were one of the NFL’s worst teams against the run.

They allowed an average of 139.5 rushing yards per game, which was the fourth-worst mark in the league.

Realizing how much they struggled in that aspect last season, the team clearly made it a priority to add established run stoppers across their defensive line this offseason.

As the Jets look to make major strides against the run, here is how their projected top defensive lineman performed in 2025.

  • DT T’Vondre Sweat: 79.3 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus (4th among 133 qualified DTs), 20 tackles (T-59th), 11 stops (T-85th), 6.3% stop rate (T-74th)
  • DT Harrison Phillips: 76.4 run defense grade (6th), 33 tackles (T-15th), 27 stops (T-10th), 7.9% stop rate (T-37th)
  • DT David Onyemata: 74.2 run defense grade (8th), 39 tackles (8th), 27 stops (T-10th), 8.3% stop rate (T-31st)
  • DT Jowon Briggs: 55.5 run defense grade (64th), 25 tackles (T-38th), 19 stops (T-28th), 7.3% stop rate (T-49th)
  • EDGE Kingsley Enagbare: 61.0 run defense grade (68th among 117 qualified EDGEs), 26 tackles (T-11th), 15 stops (T-31st), 7.6 stop rate (T-27th)
  • EDGE Will McDonald: 41.6 run defense grade (115th), 13 tackles (T-70th), 9 stops (T-75th), 3.8% stop rate (T-99th)
  • EDGE Joseph Ossai: 70.6 run defense grade (T-25th), 20 tackles (T-35th), 13 stops (T-48th), 6.8% stop rate (T-51st)

Beyond the seven players broken down above, two rookies will have roles: No. 2 overall pick David Bailey and fourth-round selection Darrell Jackson Jr.

There are legitimate concerns surrounding Bailey’s run-defending ability. Meanwhile, Jackson ranked fifth among FBS defensive tackles in run stops (23).

What is the Jets’ run defense ceiling?

Overall, it is fair to expect a highly notable stride from the Jets’ run defense this year. They have made major talent upgrades across the board.

It all starts on the edge. New York’s EDGE unit had the worst cumulative PFF run defense grade in the NFL last season at 51.0. That number is due to soar in 2026.

Off the edge, Joseph Ossai is the Jets’ safest bet for production against the run. His 70.6 run defense grade at PFF tied for 25th among 117 qualified edge rushers last season. Beyond that, he tallied 20 tackles, 13 stops, and a 6.8% stop rate.

The tackle and stop marks do not necessarily jump off the screen, but he was simply a consistent all-around run defender, hence the grade. For $11.5 million per year, the Jets should be looking for a slight uptick in ball production from him, but overall reliability and fundamentals remain at the forefront of why they signed the former Bengal. Ossai gives the Jets an early-down starter they can count on against the run, which they lacked last year

Kingsley Enagbare is also going to provide a solid boost off the edge. While his 61.0 run defense grade finished below-average at 68th out of 111 qualifiers, he was better the previous two years, posting grades of 64.5 and 63.4, showing that he is consistently a mid-tier run defender. That’s a noticeable upgrade over the likes of Micheal Clemons (52.2 grade from 2024-25), whom Enagbare is essentially replacing in the Jets’ rotation.

Enagabare also tied for 11th among edges with 26 tackles against the run last year, while slotting in at 27th with a 7.6% stop rate. His run defense grade suggests he wasn’t as consistent as Ossai from snap to snap, but his 26 tackles on a lower snap count show he consistently found the ball.

Adding a player like Enagbare to the back end of the rotation will be a significant boost. The Jets’ edge depth was a killer for them last year due to the ineptitude behind Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson, who both had limitations of their own.

McDonald is the biggest question.

Since entering the pros in 2023, his run defense has been among the worst in the league. Last year, he finished 115th out of 117 qualified edge rushers in PFF’s run defense grade (41.6). His 3.8% stop rate wasn’t much better, ranking 99th.

There is no way to sugarcoat it: McDonald has been one of the worst run-defending edges in football for the past few seasons.

Without question, his speed and bend make him a very valuable pass rusher. He’s logged 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons, and in 2026, he could very well get back to double-digit sack totals with a better secondary behind him.

However, his atrocious run defense limits him. It’s exactly why he can’t be a three-down player. When he is on the field, teams can just run the ball right to his side.

The encouraging element, though, is that the Jets’ free-agent additions of Ossai and Enagbare provide the team with depth to protect him, unlike in years past. While they won’t fully mask his struggles against the run, their presence will certainly help the Jets to use McDonald in a more specialized role.

The biggest positive as the Jets look to take a step forward against the run is the strength of their interior. T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips and David Onyemata all finished among the top eight of 133 qualified defensive tackles in PFF’s run defense grade last season.

By that metric, the Jets have four players who were top 10 at their position against the run last season; Demario Davis also finished sixth among linebackers.

Sweat headlines the interior run defense. His 79.3 grade ranked fourth at the position, while his size at 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds makes him a true space eater, unlike the remainder of the Jets’ IDL.

Space-eaters are precious in a league where games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. Sweat doesn’t necessarily get all the credit or statistical production because players of his stature are there to do the dirty work.

On most plays, Sweat’s primary responsibility will likely be to occupy blockers or prevent the offensive line from creating movement inside. If he forces a running back to hesitate or cut into another defender, he still has a very important impact on the play, even if one of his teammates is getting credit for the stop.

Phillips gives the Jets another proven run defender on the interior. He ranked sixth in run defense grade last year while his 33 tackles tied for 15th and his 27 stops tied for 10th.

Unlike Sweat, Phillips is more of a finisher. He can eat up space, too, though. The former Viking doesn’t have a weak spot in his run-defending profile.

Phillips is the definition of an all-around glue guy. Aside from his run-defending production, he has already proven to be such an integral team leader.

The signing of Onyemata makes the interior even more established. Beyond his run defense grade, which finished eighth, he also recorded 39 tackles (8th) and 27 stops (10th).

At this stage of his career, Onyemata is very limited as a pass rusher. He only had one sack and two quarterback hits last season in 17 starts. The same goes for Phillips, who had a half-sack and one quarterback hit in 17 starts.

Thanks to their depth, though, the Jets will be able to preserve Onyemata and Phillips in roles that focus on the early downs and run situations, without asking them to handle too much of a pass-rush load.

Among the Jets’ defensive tackles, Jowon Briggs struggled the most against the run last year. He ranked 64th in PFF’s grading system for run defense (55.5). However, he is capable of performing better, as he posted a 66.5 mark in his rookie year with the Cleveland Browns.

The good news is that, given the team’s surrounding cast, Briggs doesn’t need to be outstanding against the run. His job is to anchor the interior pass rush.

Last year, Briggs finished the season as one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing defensive tackles. Now, as he enters his first full season in New York without Quinnen Williams by his side, he will have even more pass-rushing chances in 2026.

What is the ceiling?

So, where should the ceiling be set?

Realistically, the Jets’ defensive line is talented enough to anchor one of the league’s top 10 run defenses. Anything beyond that (a top-five finish or so) seems a little ambitious for now, but the top 10 is definitely in play.

The interior gives the Jets that level of upside. Sweat, Phillips, and Onyemata are proven run defenders coming off remarkable seasons in that phase, and the rotation is deep. If Jackson’s college production carries over to the NFL, he could also help raise the ceiling.

The biggest questions are on the edge, and that’s where the team’s ceiling is capped. McDonald hasn’t proven serviceable in that area, while Bailey remains an unknown who could struggle in that phase as a rookie.

Ossai and Enagbare will raise the floor, but there is only so much that they can do when McDonald and Bailey offer much more as pass rushers, giving them a clearer path to playing time.

The questions on the edge could prevent the Jets from fielding an elite run defense, but finishing somewhere between eighth and 12th is definitely realistic.

After finishing 29th last season, that would be a massive improvement for the Jets.