Training camp began for the New York Jets and there is plenty of optimism surrounding the team in 2026. By most accounts, the team had a terrific offseason adding quality veterans with familiarity playing for head coach Aaron Glenn and also set themselves up for a nice future with their 2026 NFL draft class at key positions.
Jets Wire will break down each position and focus on key matchups as well as discuss a player that has plenty to prove to this coaching staff in 2026. For our next position breakdown, we look at the defensive line:
2025 Recap
If not for general manager Darren Mougey making a few moves right before the start of the season, this would have been one of the worst defensive lines in all of football.
The Jets added plenty of depth last offseason,
signing Jay Tufele, Byron Cowart and Derrick Nnadi to rotate next to Quinnen Williams. However, neither of the three distinguished themselves in camp and only Tufele made the final roster. Cowart was injured in training camp and released with a settlement and Nnadi was traded back to the Chiefs after winning a Super Bowl in Kansas City the previous year.
Mougey acted quickly, acquiring Jowon Briggs from the Browns and Harrison Phillips from the Vikings. Both were substantial upgrades on the defensive line and Briggs was arguably one of the team’s best players last year.
The Jets traded Williams to the Cowboys at the deadline, and the line struggled the rest of the season. The defense finished 29th against the run allowing an average of close to 140 yards per game. They also generated little to no pressure on opposing quarterbacks, ranking 31st with 26 sacks. Only their former coach’s defense in San Francisco was worse.
2026 Depth Chart
T’vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, David Onyemata, Jowon Briggs, Darrell Jackson Jr. (Rookie), Mazi Smith
Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn made sure to prioritize fixing the defense and focused most of their attention on the defensive line. The first move Mougey made was acquiring Sweat from the Titans. Sweat was one of the best against the run last year in Tennessee, finishing with a PFF grade of 83.4, ranking him fifth overall. He’s only 24 years old and is massive at 6’4”, 366 lbs. He’ll be the anchor of the defensive line.
Onyemata has been a modicum of consistency over his entire career and played for Glenn in New Orleans. He is excellent against the run, finishing with a PFF grade of 74.3, ranking him eighth overall. He had 21 pressures last year with the Atlanta Falcons and his 42 solo tackles ranked him ninth overall among defensive linemen.
Jackson Jr. was the Jets fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft and brings plenty of size at 6’5” and 337 lbs., but will need time to develop before carving out a role on the defensive line.
Luckily, with the depth the Jets currently have, there is no need to rush his development this year.
Player With Most to Prove
Jowon Briggs
Despite how bad the 2025 season turned out, Mougey may have gotten the steal of the season when he acquired Briggs from the Cleveland Browns for a seventh-round pick. Briggs generated 38 pressures las season to go along with four sacks. He finished with a PFF pass-rush grade of 85.6, fourth best among 134 interior defensive linemen.
Briggs now needs to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. He’s heading into 2026 with high expectations and there is more depth on the defensive line with the additions of Onyemata, Sweat and Jackson Jr. Briggs may become more of a pass rushing specialist as he was one of the best on the defensive line to pressure the quarterback. He's only signed for this season at a little over a million dollars and will be a restricted free agent in 2027. Needless to say, he'll have plenty to prove if he wants to get a big pay day on his next contract.
Key Matchup
Darrell Jackson, Jr. vs. Mazi Smith
I know, I know. I'm nitpicking a bit with this matchup because, quite frankly, there probably isn't one. Smith was part of the Quinnen Williams trade last year and was mostly an inactive for the last part of the season. The odds are stacked against him to even get a roster spot, let alone crack the defensive line rotation. But, stranger things have happened and Smith could wind up having a strong training camp and preseason which would only make the Jets defensive line depth chart stronger.
Jackson Jr. has look good in the early stages of training camp and he is taking advantage of the extra reps while Sweat is recovering from a minor injury. It's unknown how much playing time he'll get in the regular season, but he should be able to beat out Smith for the final roster.
2026 Depth Chart
T'Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, David Onyemata, Jowon Briggs, Darrell Jackson Jr.
This is easily one of the deepest units the Jets have ever had on their defensive line. On top of that, there is a nice blend of youth and veterans that will allow Aaron Glenn to mix and match however he chooses. Onyemata and Phillips will make sure that the younger players like Sweat and Briggs won't slack off. Briggs adds another pass rusher to go along with Will McDonald and David Bailey on the ends. Jets fans should be excited about how good this unit could be with Glenn calling the plays. They have potential to be one of the best in the league this season.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: 2026 New York Jets training came preview: Defensive line
