Scouting report, role: Who the NY Jets got in Jowon Briggs

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Briggs was the consensus No. 256 overall prospect entering the 2024 draft. He was chosen in his expected range, going off the board 243rd overall to Cleveland.

Briggs will turn 24 years old on September 1.

Rookie season

Briggs had a quiet preseason in his rookie year. Across three games (54 defensive snaps), he had one tackle, one hurry, zero hits, and zero sacks.

Cleveland waived Briggs and re-signed him to their practice squad. He was elevated in December and appeared in the Browns’ final six games.

Briggs played 133 defensive snaps across his six appearances (22.2 per game). Cleveland primarily used him as a 3-technique, with some reps as a 4 or 4i-technique as well. Just like in college, his role was run-game-centric, as 53% of his snaps came on run plays. That’s a high number in the modern NFL.

In a small sample size, Briggs posted strong metrics as a run defender. He recorded seven run stops on just 70 snaps against the run, placing 11th out of 157 qualified defensive tackles (min. 70 run defense snaps) in run-stop rate. Pro Football Focus scored him with a 66.5 run defense grade, which placed 23rd.

You don’t want to read too much into the numbers over such a small sample, but Briggs put some good stuff on film. He could be seen displaying some tremendous strength at the point of attack.

Briggs only missed one tackle in the 2024 season, while finishing with 13 total tackles.

As a pass rusher, Briggs leaves much to be desired. Across 63 pass-rush snaps, he recorded just four total pressures (zero sacks, one hit, three hurries).

2025 preseason

Briggs was off to a strong start to the preseason in Cleveland, showing noticeable progress compared to his rookie-year preseason.

In two games (49 defensive snaps), Briggs recorded six tackles, including four run stops, a significant step up from his one tackle on 54 snaps in the 2024 preseason.

His pass rushing remained quiet (one pressure on 27 pass-rush snaps).

Jets role

Briggs projects as a perfect Derrick Nnadi replacement on New York’s 53-man roster.

This past March, the Jets signed Nnadi, 29, to a one-year deal in hopes that he would establish himself as the team’s primary point-of-attack holder on run downs. Nnadi held that role for seven years in Kansas City.

While Nnadi was successful over the first few years of his career with the Chiefs, his production had slipped dramatically in recent years. It’s why Nnadi could only land a one-year deal with $417.5K guaranteed on the 2025 free agent market.

Throughout training camp and two preseason games, Nnadi has made very little noise as a run defender, which is supposed to be his specialty. Players like Jay Tufele and undrafted free agent Payton Page have been more impactful, while Byron Cowart has usurped Nnadi in the Jets’ starting lineup.

Briggs has a very similar profile to Nnadi. At 6-foot-1 and 313 pounds, he offers a nearly identical stocky build to Nnadi, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 317 pounds. Like Nnadi, Briggs’ specialty is the run game, specifically from a 3-tech alignment as opposed to a 1-technique or nose tackle.

The strength that Briggs displays on this play, holding his ground and splitting the double team, is precisely what the Jets want to see from their defensive tackles around Quinnen Williams. You can see every bit of Briggs’ 39 bench press reps here.

Reading the tea leaves, I would not be surprised if this trade indicates Nnadi will not make the 53-man roster, while Briggs will take his place as the Jets’ resident run-stuffer on the second string of the defensive line.

It is also worth keeping in mind that Byron Cowart, the Jets’ projected starter alongside Quinnen Williams, is dealing with an ankle injury. Briggs could be an insurance policy in case Cowart’s injury lingers on for longer than expected.

Still only 23 (soon to be 24) years old, Briggs has the potential to develop into a useful role player. The Jets took the initiative to get out in front of the waiver wire and give up draft compensation to acquire him, which tells you that he would have been a top priority for them on cutdown day.

Briggs made the most of his rookie-year opportunities and has shown progress in the 2025 preseason. Giving up a measly one-round drop on the third day of the 2026 draft is a worthwhile cost if New York’s scouts and coaches love this player, especially because he fills a need.