Updated 2026 New York Jets depth chart: Defense/special teams

The tidal wave that is the start of 2026 NFL Free Agency is officially over and now teams are sifting through what’s left to see if they can find help at discounted prices. The New York Jets , armed with over $75 million in cap space, went to work to fix a defense that couldn’t sack the quarterback and failed to intercept a pass last season. They also shored up the depth on their offensive line and brought an old friend back to Florham Park to be the team's starting quarterback.

How much better are the Jets today than they were at the start of last season? Where do they need to get stronger? Here is the updated New York Jets depth chart on defense as we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft in April Defensive Line T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs, Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare, Will McDonald, David Onyemata The Verdict:   Almost There The Jets primary strategy in free agency was to fix a defense that was terrible last season.

It started with the acquisition of Sweat, a massive nose tackle, from the Titans for fan favorite Jermaine Johnson. They added pass rushing help for McDonald in Ossai, who had five sacks last season for the Cincinnati Bengals. Enagbare and Onyemata can get after the quarterback, but they are much better against the run, an area where the defense struggled after the trade of Quinnen Williams.

The Jets will select a pass rusher with the second overall pick in the draft and it’s between Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey. They could also add a little more depth to the defensive line but this unit is much stronger than last season and not a cause for concern. Linebackers Jamien Sherwood, Demario Davis, Kiko Alonso, Marcellino McCrary-Ball The Verdict:  Needs help The Jets added a much needed leader in free agency bringing back Davis for his third stint with the team.