The New York Jets offense has been abysmal over the last 20 years in the NFL, but the defense has been a different story. The Jets defense was one of the reasons why they went to back-to-back AFC Championship Games during the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons. One of the leaders of this New York defense over the years was cornerback Darrelle Revis. Revis played for the Jets from 2007-2012, and he also played for them from 2015-2016. There are a lot of talented players that this franchise has had.
Jesse Washington (left) Darrelle Revis (center) and Ty Law (right) sit in during a Q&A session at the Hall of Fame High documentary premiere, Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Revis also played for the New England Patriots during his NFL career as well and won a Super Bowl with them. That was the ultimate smack in the face to Jets fans. However, that doesn’t diminish the fact of how good Revis was in his NFL career with the Jets as well.
Darrelle Revis Leads the New York Jets Defensive Team on PFF Over the Last 20 Seasons
Darrelle Revis (left) NFL Network host Rich Eisen (center) and Ty Law (right) pose for a photo following a Q&A session at the Hall of Fame High documentary premiere, Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
It was a not secret of how great Revis was during his NFL career. Nathan Jahnke of profootballfocus.com listed Revis as one of the best cornerbacks that the Jets have had over the last 20 years. Jahnke said,
“The Jets’ defense has been defined by elite cornerback play and a steady pipeline of disruptive interior defenders. From 2011-17 alone, Damon Harrison Sr., Sione Pouha, Muhammad Wilkerson, Steve McLendon, Leonard Williams, Mike DeVito and Sheldon Richardson all stood at least 6-foot-2 and weighed at least 290 pounds while playing more than 850 defensive snaps and earning a PFF grade of 73.0 or higher. To maximize the talent on the field, both Wilkerson and Richardson spent significant time lining up on the edge. This roster takes a similar approach, though Harrison still narrowly missed the cut by a fraction of a grading point.
This defense might struggle to generate pressure with a traditional four-man rush, as no Jets front-four defender over the last 20 years recorded a pressure rate above 16.0%. However, that may not matter given the talent elsewhere on the unit. The front seven would be dominant against the run, while Darrelle Revis and Sauce Gardner could erase opponents’ top two receiving threats. Safeties Jamal Adams and Kerry Rhodes also bring value as blitzers, combining double-digit sack production with pressure rates above 19% on blitzes.”
Sauce Gardner and Brian Poole were the other cornerbacks to make this great Jets defense over the last 20 seasons. Safeties Jamal Adams and Kerry Rhodes also made the team as well. Revis played for Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan, and Todd Bowles when playing in New York. The defensive line units and linebackers were also very good for the Jets over the last 20 years also.
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