Is 3-4 the Solution to An Ailing New York Jets Defense?

Johnson doesn’t offer the same explosiveness as McDonald, but his vast superiority as an edge setter makes him the best defensive end on the roster. The problem for him is health. 

Coming off an Achilles injury, Johnson needs to be eased into the rotation before becoming the focal point he was pre-injury. Especially after suffering another lower foot (ankle) injury against the Bills, New York will be reliant on their depth before he reaches full strength. 

Woes Around Quinnen Williams

Williams had one of the best games of his career against the Steelers, and it looks like he’ll be the same dominant two-way player he has been throughout his career. The recent additions of Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs have helped him shine even more in the run game. However, on third down life has been more difficult than usual for the All-Pro. 

Unlike previous years, being surrounded by solid interior pass rushers like John Franklin-Myers, Quinton Jefferson, and Sheldon Rankins, there isn’t a lot of juice in that room outside from Quinnen. Even though the Jets are playing an attacking 4-3 front, they just aren’t getting home enough even when they bring extra men. The problem is simple: They don’t have the other guys, inside or out. 

Jets Depth Concerns

Because of McDonald’s size and Johnson’s health, Glenn has been forced to give his backups a lion share of snaps. As any Jets fan knows, that is a recipe for disaster. 

Going into the season, one of the more quiet storylines was the role of fourth-year edge rusher Michael Clemons in 2025. Clemons was a strong run defender his rookie season, but regressed the next two years while offering little when rushing the passer. Given the concerns of his two star edge rushers, Glenn needs to bank on Clemons returning to his rookie form.

Combined with the concerns of constant bone-headed penalties, Clemons just can’t give the Jets anything right now. It’s a big problem, considering he’s the only guy that can physically play 4i on early downs. New York tried activating Tyler Baron as their fourth edge rusher Week 1, and Braiden McGregor in Week 2. They returned PFF grades of 57.6 and 46.1, respectively. 

Practicality of the 3-4

Going back to his first year with the Lions, Glenn has experience running a 3-4 defense. He himself talked about how they ran this defense because their edges weren’t big enough to play defensive end. For a Jets team that has a deficit of guys that can put their hand in the dirt while having one of the best undersized pass rushers in football, it could be a seamless change.  

One of the comparisons to look at for Will McDonald in a 3-4 defense is All-Pro Nik Bonitto. Although Bonitto’s ability in coverage is better than McDonald’s, he is able to shine rushing the passer on every down because of the beef inside of Zach Allen and, coincidentally, Franklin-Myers. This system could not only benefit McDonald, but other undersized “edgebackers” like Baron, Francisco Mauigoa, and even Quincy Williams in a limited capacity.

Jets Have Size Inside

For all the concerns on this New York front, one of the strengths of this unit is size inside. The trades for Phillips and Briggs have been one of the best moves of Mougey’s tenure, with the latter being the highest graded Jets defender in Week 2.

Briggs’ ability to play 3-tech could allow Glenn to make the transition to 3-4, while Phillips does the dirty work at nose tackle. Although the pass rush juice isn’t ideal, their presence indirectly allows their best pass rusher to play more.

The size of the defensive line could even help a struggling Jets secondary. Thanks to a heavier front, New York could put more bodies in the secondaries and play more bracket coverage that would help everyone not named Sauce Gardner. Think akin to Jesse Minter’s group in Los Angeles, using “shell coverage” to force QBs not to push the ball beyond the sticks and rely on tackling. 

A switch to a 3-4 defense would be a totally new look for Aaron Glenn’s team than how it started the season. But for all the (justified) criticism he’s received throughout the first two weeks, Glenn has proven himself as one of the most adaptable minds in the sport. For a group that has struggled mightily early on, they’re going to need Glenn to work some magic.