Two Trades Fully Revamped the Jets Defensive Line

In a matter of hours last week, the Jets completely changed the outlook of their defensive line. What was shaping up to be a lingering issue on Aaron Glenn’s defense has quickly turned into an array of strong complementary skillsets around All-Pro Quinnen Williams. Thanks to some late-August action from general manager Darrell Mougey, New York has four rotational defensive linemen who bring an exciting blend of size and physicality, with enough pass-rush upside to be potent inside.

Jowon Briggs

The first of two defensive line moves, the Jets traded a sixth-round pick for Jowon Briggs. Briggs appeared slated to start on New York’s defensive line for all of three hours. The Jets still needed to bring in a big body that stands up against the run after Derrick Nnadi struggled to stand out in camp, and Briggs’ 6-foot-1, 313-pound frame more than suffices.

Although he didn’t get game time until Week 13, Briggs shone when the Browns finally put him into action. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 23rd-best defensive lineman in 2024, and his sample size of 20 snaps per game should mirror his role in this defense. On tape, Briggs’s upper body strength and violent hands frequently show up against the run, but he’s also got plenty of mobility to motor down running backs on the other side of the formation. Cleveland had Briggs primarily line up as a 3-technique in 2024, which could suggest some untapped upside as a pass rusher. For now, trading a 23-year-old run defender for a sixth-round pick is shrewd business by Mougey.

Harrison Phillips

Seemingly in one fell swoop, the Jets also traded for Harrison Phillips on Aug. 20, this time for two sixth-round draft picks and a seventh-round pick. After signing a two-year extension starting in the 2025 season, Phillips fell victim to a reinforced Vikings defensive line. Aaron Glenn is the perfect fit for Phillips because of how he likes to deploy his starting defensive linemen. Unlike Briggs, Phillips’ bread and butter is at nose or 1-technique. Although he doesn’t rack up a ton of run stops, Phillips’ ability to use his size to eat up double teams made him the anchor of the number one rush defense by EPA/play. For a team that got gashed between the tackles like New York did, finally giving Quinnen Williams a legitimate running mate in this department could be the difference in competing with elite rushing offenses like Buffalo.