Rich CiminiMar 1, 2026, 06:00 AM ET
Close
Open Extended Reactions
A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. Draft impact: Aaron Glenn's self-proclaimed "superpower" is calling defensive plays, and he will be doing it with a new-look scheme that could be built around a new edge rusher.
The decision earlier this week to trade defensive end Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans reinforces the belief that the Jets will take an edge player with the second pick in April's draft. The top candidates are Ohio State's Arvell Reese and Texas Tech's David Bailey.
Best of NFL Nation
• Will Seahawks re-sign Kenneth Walker
• Bills from the combine
• Gaints ponder Lawrence, Thibodeaux
• Why Canales turned to Izdik
• What Raiders learned at combine
They might have gone that route with Johnson on the roster. Now it's imperative. Their only edge player of note under contract is Will McDonald IV, whose fifth-year option (2027) is expected to be exercised.
A few years ago, the Jets were flush with edge rushers. Now they're scrambling.
Glenn is planning to switch to a 3-4 front, according to two people familiar with his thinking. They won't live in a 3-4 -- there will be multiple fronts -- but this represents a notable shift in philosophy. It's a big reason that Johnson, viewed as a 4-3 defensive end, was shipped to Tennessee, where he will play in a 4-3 under former Jets coach Robert Saleh.
In return, the Jets received nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat, a 6-foot-4, 366-pound run stuffer/space eater who should be ideal in the middle of a 3-4 front.
Now the Jets must load up on defensive ends and outside linebacker/edge players -- two of the strongest positions in the draft, according to talent evaluators.
Unfortunately for the Jets, there's no Myles Garrett-like prospect in this draft.
Reese is a bit of a projection because he split his time between edge rusher and off-ball linebacker, which probably explains only 6.5 sacks last season, but he has a high ceiling, according to many scouts. He is drawing Micah Parsons comparisons. He met with the Jets at the combine, telling reporters it would be "amazing" to be drafted by them.
"I haven't even scratched the surface with what I could do pass rushing, for real," said Reese, who envisions himself as an edge rusher, not an off-ball linebacker.
Bailey may not have as much upside as Reese, but he recorded 14.5 sacks and led the nation in quarterback-pressure percentage (20.2%). He, too, met with the Jets, as did Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., whose arm length could impact his draft stock. He was measured at 30⅞ inches, which would be the shortest of any defensive lineman drafted in the first round since at least 2003, per ESPN Research.
In a 3-4 front, the Jets could line up with McDonald and their top draft pick at outside linebacker, with Sweat anchoring the middle. They also have big bodies in Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs. They still have holes to fill. Plenty of holes.
2. Mountain of a man: Sweat was 32nd out of 100 defensive tackles in run-stop percentage last season (minimum: 300 snaps) -- 23 run stops out of 366 snaps, per Next Gen Stats. The Jets will use him as a first- and second-down run stuffer.
What to know for the 2026 NFL draft
• Mocks: Kiper | Miller | Reid | Yates
• Rankings: Kiper | Miller | Reid | Yates
• Best by position | Draft order | More
The concern with Sweat is his weight; he reportedly was up to 390 in his final year at Texas. It was a storyline throughout his two seasons with the Titans, though it should be noted that he played 667 snaps as a rookie in 2024 -- a heavy workload for a player that big.
Rarely in the NFL do you see a starter heavier than 360 pounds. Sweat could be the Jets' heaviest defensive lineman since Kris Jenkins (2008-10), who was listed at 360. Former Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton (2020-23) played at about 380.
3. Get the checkbook ready: With approximately $90 million in cap room (they gained $11.8 million in the Johnson-for-Sweat swap), the Jets figure to be aggressive in free agency on the defensive side of the ball.
Among the players they're considering are safeties Bryan Cook (Kansas City Chiefs) and Nick Cross (Indianapolis Colts), linebacker Alex Anzalone (Lions) and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (Lions), among others, according to people familiar with their thinking.
One name to watch is Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who reportedly is available for trade. New Jets defensive coordinator Brian Duker was the Dolphins' passing-game coordinator, so he's familiar with Fitzpatrick.
4. The QB mystery: Everybody wants to know who will line up behind center in 2026. The Jets have been linked to no fewer than a dozen quarterbacks, everyone from the retired Derek Carr to Malik Willis. It's not a great year to need a QB1, so there's no surefire answer out there.
There's a sense that the Jets will look to add two veterans, steering away from overpriced big names and focusing on cost-effective backups/stop-gap starters -- players such as Tanner McKee, Spencer Rattler and Tyson Bagent. Another one to watch is Jarrett Stidham, who is under contract with the Denver Broncos. General manager Darren Mougey knows him from his time in Denver.
5. Wait and see: Mougey, speaking at the combine this week, made it sound like they're in no rush to make a decision on former starter Justin Fields, who figures to be the odd man out in the anticipated quarterback overhaul.
Fields will have some control over his fate. He's due to make $20 million (half guaranteed), prohibitive for a backup. If he's asked to take a pay cut, he could simply refuse, forcing their hand.
6. No Mendoza: Mougey and Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek are old friends, having worked together for several years with the Broncos. Friendship has its limits, though.
It sounds like Mougey has -- or will -- inquire about trading up for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 pick. He indicated that his Broncos buddy isn't budging.
"Absolutely, we'll talk about all those things, but I don't think that's happening," Mougey said with a laugh.
7. Guarded: It appears that guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson won't get new contracts before the start of free agency and will hit the open market when the new league year begins on March 11. This doesn't mean they're both goners; the Jets intend to keep tabs on them.
8. He said what? Glenn's "superpower" boast created quite the stir. He was mocked on every talk show from local radio to ESPN's "First Take," and he appeared in a green Superman outfit on Wednesday's back page of the New York Post.
In case you missed it, Glenn was asked at the combine to explain why he decided to take over the playcalling on defense even though he hired a new defensive coordinator, Brian Duker.
"To me, playcalling is my superpower," the coach told reporters, trying to squash speculation that owner Woody Johnson twisted his arm into assuming the role.
Glenn was the Lions' playcaller from 2021 to 2024, and here's how they ranked in EPA (Expected Points Added): 31st, 31st, 23rd and eighth. He did a terrific job in that final season, overcoming an inordinate number of injuries.
But it's a what have you done for me lately business, and right now Glenn is a 3-14 coach who, by his own admission, made a lot of mistakes in his first season. That explains all the "kryptonite" jokes.
play
2:46
Mad Dog is mad at Aaron Glenn for claiming to have superpowers
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, Damien Woody and Stephen A. Smith call out Jets coach Aaron Glenn for claiming to have "playcalling superpowers."
9. A few questions remain: If playcalling is Glenn's superpower, why didn't he do it from Day 1? Why didn't he take over the responsibility after firing defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with three games remaining in the season? Why did he have two interviews with veteran coordinator and playcaller Wink Martindale before pivoting to Duker?
Glenn said Martindale was on board with a non-playcalling position (not true, a source close to Martindale said), but that he opted for Duker because of their three years together in Detroit (2021-23). As for not calling plays last season, Glenn said as a first-time coach he wanted to focus on game management, but that he realized late in the year he can do both.
Bottom line, Glenn, who could be on the hot seat in 2026, is taking control of his fate. And that's not a bad thing. He can install his system and call his own plays without having to worry about something being lost in translation.
He unwittingly did himself a disservice with his "superpower" brag. You can bet the quote will be dredged up every time the defense has a clunker. Nevertheless, he felt it was a move that had to be made.
"I really miss [calling plays]," Glenn said. "I think it's a huge part of helping us become the team that I see us becoming, the team that I know me and [Mougey] see us becoming, the team that Woody sees us becoming."
10. Men from Motown: Duker might not have been Glenn's first (or second) choice. Lions assistant Jim O'Neill, one of nine who interviewed for the job, "had an opportunity to go with the Jets," Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the combine. O'Neill received a promotion to stay in Detroit.