After being acquired for negligible draft capital in 2025, Jowon Briggs was nothing short of a monster with the New York Jets in 2026.

He quickly established a role on the team, and as the season went on, it became increasingly clear that the trade was a masterclass by general manager Darren Mougey.

Briggs’ pass-rushing prowess came on full display after the team dealt Quinnen Williams at the league’s trade deadline.

However, even while Williams was in the Big Apple, Briggs was still quietly making a difference. Briggs wasn’t just one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing DTs after the trade deadline; he ranks near the top of pass-rushing lists for the full season, too.

Pro Football Focus has a signature metric called “Pass Rushing Productivity,” also referred to as PRP. Essentially, the rating measures pressure created on a per-snap basis, with sacks weighed twice as heavily.

Among 96 qualified DTs in 2025 (minimum 200 pass-rush snaps), Briggs ranked eighth in the metric.

Here is a look at the top 10.

  1. Jefferey Simmons, Tennessee Titans (8.8)
  2. Milton Williams, New England Patriots (8.5)
  3. Zach Allen, Denver Broncos (8.4)
  4. Jer’Zhan Newton, Washington Commanders (7.7)
  5. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (7.6)
  6. Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams (7.2)
  7. Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys (7.1)
  8. Jowon Briggs, New York Jets (7.0)
  9. Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys (7.0)
  10. D.J. Jones, Denver Broncos (6.8)

This shows that Briggs was still wrecking the game as a pass-rusher before Williams was traded, challenging the notion that he was just a late-season riser once games didn’t matter.

After Williams was traded, though, Briggs certainly ascended to a new level. Briggs logged an 8.3 PRP from Weeks 10-18, which was fifth-best over that span and just 0.3 points behind six-time All-Pro Chris Jones, while placing ahead of notable names such as Zach Allen and Kobie Turner.

For the season, Briggs’ 85.6 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus ranked fourth among 134 qualified DTs, while he collected 28 solo tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble, six QB hits, and 38 total pressures throughout the year.

It will be intriguing to see how the Jets utilize Briggs this season, given several moving pieces.

First off, he will have a new play-caller as Aaron Glenn takes over the reins. Secondly, the team’s defensive tackle room looks much different.

T’Vondre Sweat was acquired via trade, while the organization also added David Onyemata in free agency this offseason. The good news for Briggs, though, is that both Sweat and Onyemata are elite run-stuffers while offering far less in the pass-rushing game.

Undoubtedly, Briggs is the best pass-rushing defensive tackle the Jets currently have on their roster. For that reason, he is poised to start and play a major role, just as he did in the second half of 2025.

With another strong campaign in 2026, Briggs could firmly solidify himself as one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen.