In a few areas, Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets’ defense have a favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans’ offense in Week 1.
Former Titans nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat is a huge (figuratively and literally) mismatch against Titans center Austin Schlottman, which is especially critical given that Tennessee offensive coordinator Brian Daboll tends to call a high rate of inside runs.
Sweat could be a major difference-maker in helping the Jets stuff the early-down run game. If they can do that, the Jets will force second-year quarterback Cam Ward into predictable third-and-longs.
On those third-and-longs, Glenn can comfortably lean on his blitz-heavy tendencies, as Ward was by far the league’s least consistent starting quarterback against the blitz in 2025.
Stuffing the early-down inside run game and sending the house on third down seems like a tremendous formula for the Jets. However, there is one weapon on Tennessee’s offense who could throw off New York’s plans.
Can the Jets’ defense win in the slot?
Tennessee’s biggest splash in free agency was former New York Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who joined the team on a four-year, $70 million contract.
Robinson, who followed Daboll over from New York, was one of the NFL’s best slot weapons in 2025. He led the NFL with 675 receiving yards out of the slot, per Pro Football Focus. His 60 receptions out of the slot were second only to Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions.
The shifty Robinson, who stands at 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds with a 4.44 forty-yard dash time, was a very reliable target for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Robinson had just two drops out of the slot last season. His 3.2% drop rate out of the slot ranked fourth-lowest among wide receivers with at least 50 slot targets, trailing only Zay Flowers, Puka Nacua, and Chris Olave.
That reliability out of the slot is something that Tennessee will be counting on as they look to facilitate a breakout season from second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Robinson is tailor-made to emerge as a go-to safety blanket for a developing young quarterback. He uses his athleticism to separate quickly on short-range routes, and his reliable hands will earn him Ward’s trust.
Many signs point to Robinson becoming Ward’s favorite target in 2026. Ward will be especially likely to lean on Robinson early in the season as he acclimates to a new offense and gradually gets comfortable enough to take more chances downfield.
This will pose a unique challenge for the Jets, as they do not have a proven slot defender to shut Robinson down.
New York’s projected starter at slot cornerback is second-round rookie D’Angelo Ponds, the 50th overall pick in this year’s draft.
Ponds is a touted prospect with impressive all-around skills. He can stay sticky in coverage, make plays on the ball, and is a willing tackler. The Indiana product slipped into the second round mostly due to his size (5-foot-8 and 182 pounds with 29⅜-inch arms).
The problem for New York is that Ponds missed nearly all of training camp and the entire preseason with a calf strain. That means he will be making his NFL debut against last year’s league leader in slot yards with barely any practice experience and no preseason snaps.
In a vacuum, Ponds should match up well against Robinson. The size concerns won’t be an issue, as Robinson has an almost identical frame. Ponds also has the physicality to bump Robinson off his route timing, which could cause mistakes on the part of a young quarterback who has yet to play a regular-season game with Robinson.
But the Titans are catching Ponds at the right time. This will be his first game in an NFL uniform in any capacity. No matter how good a player he might be down the line (perhaps even this year), his inexperience and rust will make him extremely vulnerable in Tennessee.
While Ponds is the Jets’ projected starter in the slot, it remains to be seen whether the Jets may elect to bring him along slowly to avoid the specific predicament of tossing him into the fire too early. If that is the case, though, it is not as if the Jets have a more promising alternative.
If Ponds does not start in the slot, it will be Jarvis Brownlee Jr., a former Titan who was acquired in a mid-season trade last year. That would arguably be an even more vulnerable matchup for the Jets than just rolling with a raw Ponds.
Brownlee struggled immensely in coverage last season. He earned a PFF coverage grade of 49.5 across 257 coverage snaps with the Titans and Jets, placing him 88th out of 95 qualified cornerbacks. Brownlee allowed a 108.9 passer rating on throws into his direction and committed a whopping 11 penalties in nine games, with six of those being for either defensive holding or defensive pass interference.
While Brownlee is an excellent tackler and run defender, his coverage woes would be untenable against a high-volume slot receiver like Robinson. The Titans would have a chance to pepper Robinson with target after target and essentially move the chains at will. Glenn’s third-down blitzes could be rendered ineffective if Robinson is consistently beating Brownlee instantaneously on slant routes and whip routes.
So, the Jets are stuck between a rock and a hard place with this particular matchup. They must either gamble that Ponds will be ready to hold his own in his NFL debut despite sitting out the entire summer, or take their chances with Brownlee.
Overall, Glenn and the New York defense have a lot going for them as they game-plan for Tennessee. The slot matchup against Robinson, though, is a significant puzzle to be solved.
