If the saying “defense wins championships” still holds any weight in the modern NFL, the NY Jets should, at least on paper, be considered one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2024.
The Jets already had one of the best defenses in the NFL going into the offseason, although many believed the loss of Bryce Huff could have serious ramifications on the unit in 2024. That was before the Jets stunned the NFL world by trading for Philadelphia Eagles star pass rusher Haason Reddick on Friday.
Reddick is one of just two players in the NFL — the other being Myles Garrett — to record double-digit sacks in each of the last four seasons. He hasn’t finished with fewer than 11 sacks in a season since 2019.
Reddick joins a star-studded Jets defense that also features the likes of Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and a host of other Pro Bowl/All-Pro caliber talents. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more complete defense in the entire NFL.
Reddick, Williams, Jermaine Johnson, and John Franklin-Myers — not to mention the team’s remarkable depth — give the Jets arguably the best defensive line in the NFL.
The Jets already had the highest sack rate among any team in football last season at 8.42 percent. They’re now adding a player who has totaled more than 50 sacks over the last four seasons to their pass-rush corps.
Then there’s the linebacker duo of Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley. The Jets are the only two in the NFL to have two different linebackers make an All-Pro team over the last two seasons. Mosley was named second-team All-Pro in 2022 while Williams earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
Williams was genuinely one of the best linebackers in the NFL last season, while Mosley put together arguably the best year of his entire career in 2023. His 90.6 Pro Football Focus coverage grade ranked first among all qualified linebackers. Second behind him? Quincy Williams with an outstanding 88.7 grade.
The Jets’ cornerback room needs no introduction. Sauce Gardner is the first cornerback since at least 1970 — over 50 years ago — to be named first-team All-Pro in the first two seasons of his career.
He’s joined by D.J. Reed, a borderline top-15 cornerback in the NFL, and Michael Carter II, likely a top-three nickel corner in the league. There is no argument here — the Jets have the best cornerback trio in football. It’s impossible to argue that with any sort of factual evidence.
The Jets’ safety room is hardly anything to write home about, but Chuck Clark and Tony Adams give the team a capable, starting-caliber safety duo to complete their defense.
There isn’t a defense in the NFL that can claim to have arguably the best position group at three different levels of the defense. Not the Baltimore Ravens. Not the Cleveland Browns. Not the San Francisco 49ers. Nobody. Just the Jets.
The Jets ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed per game despite being saddled with one of the worst offenses in recent league history. Not only should the Jets’ offense be significantly better in 2024, but their defense got better as well.
At least from a talent perspective, the Jets have the best defense in the NFL. Argue with a wall.
