Over the last few months, we’ve been breaking down all undrafted free agents signed by the Jets. We continue today with former Ball State edge defender Nathan Voorhis.
The 24-year old Voorhis is listed at 6’2” and 251 pounds and was a first-team all-MAC selection last year as he racked up 12 sacks for Ball State. He had also played for Bryant College and UConn during his career.
Background
Voorhis was a three-star high school recruit, having played defensive end and tight end. He headed to UConn in 2022, but struggled to earn any playing time in two years with the Huskies. He had seven tackles and played just 20 defensive snaps.
Having opted to transfer to Bryant College in 2024, Voorhis started four games and ended up with 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 11 games.
This earned him the opportunity to transfer back to a top-level school and he broke out with 12 sacks in his only season at Ball State. He also had 51 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 12 games.
Having not been invited to the scouting combine, Voorhis’ pro day numbers were a mixed bag and he ultimately didn’t get drafted in April.
Voorhis was one of the first round of undrafted free agents signed by the Jets and his contract reportedly includes $70K of guaranteed money.
Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Voorhis brings to the table, based on in-depth research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Voorhis doesn’t have ideal size and length, or an outstanding athletic profile, although he shows flashes of strength and explosiveness on film and did post a 37-inch vertical at his pro day.
His agility numbers were poor and he ran a 4.76 in the 40-yard dash and posted 22 bench press reps, which are about average for his size.
Usage
Voorhis played as an edge throughout his college career, lining up inside on an occasional basis and playing both with his hands in the dirt or standing up.
Motor
Voorhis showcases a good motor on film as he battles in the trenches and relentlessly tries to get after the quarterback even when initially blocked.
He played 50 or more snaps in eight of 12 games in 2025, with a highest snap count of 62 so he can handle a large workload.
Pass rush
Voorhis didn’t get a chance to show what he could do as a pass rusher at UConn and when he dropped down to the FCS level, he had five sacks but his pressure rate wasn’t that impressive.
However, he broke out immediately at Ball State. After five games, he was leading the nation with eight sacks, including 3.5 against Ohio. He ended the year with 12 in 12 games. Only four players had more, including his new teammate David Bailey, who had 14.5 in 14.
Voorhis has the ability to get around the edge, and displays good bend and burst coming around the corner.
He is less effective on the bull rush, using that more as a set up for other moves, but does possess the power to move his man off his spot.
Run defense
Voorhis isn’t known for his run defense and his lack of size often leads to analysts suggesting he will probably be a situational rusher at the pro level. However, his performance grades on sites such as Pro Football Focus have typically been good.
As you’d expect, his burst and motor on the edge can be an asset when he is employed in backside pursuit.
There were times where he tried to penetrate and got sealed off but he has shown some ability to execute edge-setting assignments.
Technique
By the time he arrived at Ball State, Voorhis had developed an impressive collection of pass rush moves and shows an instinctive ability to transition from one to another.
When rushing outside, he tends to set up his move by leaning to the inside and then when he comes around the corner, he rips through effectively.
He displays good timing with his hands, and brings some aggression when chopping an offensive lineman’s arm away and can employ a hump/club move effectively when stunting inside.
He impressively takes advantage of the offensive lineman here, using a bull-jerk move to get him off balance.
Special teams
Voorhis got plenty of special teams experience during his college career, especially at UConn, where he had seven special teams tackles in two seasons.
He also saw time rushing kicks and punts and served as a blocker on the kick return unit.
Tackling
Voorhis was a relatively productive tackler over the past two years, but did miss tackles from time to time, including seven last season.
He had three forced fumbles in his college career.
Coverage
Voorhis rarely dropped into coverage and never batted down a pass at the line during his college career.
Instincts/Intelligence
As noted, Voorhis is an instinctive pass rusher and he doesn’t seem to make many mental errors. On this play, he isn’t fooled on the option keeper.
He jumped offside once last season.
Attitude/Demeanor
Voorhis impressed his coaches at Ball State with how quickly he adjusted to his new team and embraced a leadership role. He said he enjoyed the family-like environment they had created.
His on-field discipline was solid with just five penalties in his career, although he did have a personal foul for roughing the passer last season.
Injuries
Voorhis played in 44 games in four seasons and doesn’t appear to have had any injuries during his college career.
Scheme Fit
As noted, Voorhis is widely viewed as a potential situational rusher but the Jets already have Bailey and Will McDonald, who also might be employed in such a role.
In preseason, you can expect him to have a conventional edge role with the third unit but he should get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do against lower level opponents.
Current Jets edge defender Eric Watts was one of Voorhis’ teammates at UConn.
Conclusions
The Jets don’t have a great deal of depth at the edge positions, nor do they have much of a pipeline in terms of developmental projects at the position. Therefore, it’s a good opportunity for a player like Voorhis to stick around if he can flash a few times in preseason.
He should be looking at players like Watts, Braiden McGregor and Tyler Baron as being ahead of him but viable targets for him to try and outproduce in preseason. That would give him a good chance of a practice squad spot and potentially some playing time before the year is out.