Depth needed badly everywhere
We continue with our assessments of the New York Jets roster in determining what plan of action to take during the 2025 NFL Draft. This is the outside part of the building process that is vital to the success of the defense. We now turn our attention to the linebackers and defensive backs, where the Jets need help but it’s not as acute as other positions.
Linebackers
The Jets are set with Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood as SLB and MLB, but they have little depth and a need at the WILL position.
Zaire Barnes is listed as the starting WILL, but he has yet to make a tackle in the NFL. He went down with an ankle injury late in the 2024 season and was put on the injured reserve list. He will need to show something to make the team out of camp.
Jamin Davis I am sure will be the starting WILL when the season starts. Davis is amazingly athletic. He ran 4.47/40, had a 42” vertical jump and a 132” broad jump at his pro day. He was a draft bust with the Washington Commanders when he was the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft. The Jets signed him to a team friendly $1.2 million contract for 2025. Davis is the poster child for players who don’t develop after the draft. He was drafted as an ILB, but he had only 11 starts as a collegian. Davis struggled mightily trying to find run fits and getting off blocks. As a WILL he’ll be free to run all over the field making plays. The WILL position is perfect for Davis. He was a solid signing by the Jets.
Jackson Sirmon was a practice squad player for the Jets in 2024. He has some talent but will need to show out in order to make the team in 2025.
Jimmy Ciarlo was a UDFA signed by the Jets out of Army who was injured in a preseason game and spent the season on IR. He will need to show out to make the roster.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball has been with the Jets for two seasons while appearing in 14 games exclusively on special teams. He has nine career tackles. He too will need to show out to make the roster in 2025.
Rashad Weaver is entering his fifth year in the league having played with the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. He appeared in three games last year with zero stats. He will struggle to make the roster in 2025.
Chazz Surratt is entering his fourth year with the Jets. 2024 was his most effective season. He played in all 17 games, starting five, and ended the year with 28 combined tackles and 17 solo tackles. He is a solid reserve who is probable to make the team.
The need is not there for the Jets to spend a lot of draft capital on a linebacker, but they are poor in depth at the position. It would be nice to bring in a player or two to begin the development process in case of severe injury. Jihaad Campbell and Carson Schwesinger will be too pricy in terms of draft capital, but two players in the third to fourth round who may entice the Jets are Demetrius Knight from South Carolina and Danny Stutsman of Oklahoma
Demetrius Knight is a sturdy, intelligent, mature ILB prospect with great strength, agility and length. He is a full-grown adult who has the physical frame to be a starter on day one. He’s a sure tackler who missed only 10 tackles in 99 opportunities in 2024. He’s a powerful wrap tackler who runs through his tackles so the opponent feels the hit into next week. He’s a 25-year-old married father of two, a mature guy who comes to work every day looking forward to his job. He’s a smart guy who had three appearances on the ACC Academic Honor Roll (2019-2021). He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in literature, media, and communication. Even though he was a starter he was a maven on special teams. In 2022 at Georgia Tech he played in four games before deciding to transfer after the dismissal of head coach Geoff Collins. Knight transferred to Charlotte, where he was a first team All-American. In 12 games there he had 96 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions with one returned for a touchdown, and four passes defended. He knows how to get off blocks. He is great in his pursuit of the play, avoids the trash, and gets there with a purpose. He can play all three linebacker spots. He doesn’t over commit, and he doesn’t take himself out of the play by taking the wrong path to the ball. He’s aggressive but patient. He does a good job in zone coverage. He follows the quarterback’s eyes, sees the receiver, and breaks before the throw. He plays with passion. He is a natural leader. He’s not the fastest guy but he may be the most determined. You see and feel his intensity.
Danny Stutsman is a smart, tough and rangy linebacker who is a lunch pail type player. He can fill holes quickly and he has the speed to chase down running backs in the open field. He is experienced, having played in 47 games, starting the last 37 of his career. He is ninth in Oklahoma history in tackles with 376. Stutsman had more than 100 tackles in every season he was a starter. He has 35 tackles for loss and seven sacks in that time as well. He runs through tackles. He is very physical; players feel his tackles the following day. He uses his length well to keep himself clean of blocks so he can chase down ball carriers. He was awarded the Don Key award, which is the highest honor a Sooner can receive. It goes to the player who best exemplifies great qualities on the field and in the classroom. He is a high character player who was elected a team captain each of the last three seasons. He has a high football IQ. He sniffs out screen passes to stop them in the backfield. Stutsman is great in pursuit, never gives up on a play, and chases down players from behind. He is an intense player; you can feel his love for the game through the game film. He’s a gamer who has had no major injuries and played more than 2,000 defensive snaps over the past three seasons. He is a solid tackler who missed only 15 tackles in 123 tackling attempts. He was a first team All-American and a Butkus award finalist. He is a blue-collar type player with great instincts and a passion for the game. He believes what he sees it allows him to make tackles as he explodes through gaps.
Jackson Woodard, an ILB from UNLV, would be a great late round pick.
Woodard is a tough, strong, physical ILB prospect with great size and the heart of a lion. He had every team attend his pro day basically to watch only him. He has good speed with a 4.62/40 and some explosiveness with a 36” vertical jump. He’s a downhill tackler who couldn’t find the field in three seasons at Arkansas, then excelled when he transferred to UNLV. In 28 games in his two seasons with UNLV Woodard made 251 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, seven sacks and five interceptions. He had 12 passes defended in 14 games in 2025. He watches the quarterback’s eyes then slides into passing lanes. He sees route combinations well then flows to the area the ball is coming. He does well in his run fits, strafes down the line then shoots the gap to make a tackle. He has great instincts to sift through heavy traffic to find the ball carrier. He is a solid wrap tackler who comes in hard, not a shoulder thrower he brings people down. He feels screens before they occur to get by the blocker before they can get in position. He’s a relentless player who doesn’t stop until the echo of the whistle. He would be a maven of special teams as he is a leader who does what it takes to succeed.
Defensive Backs
The Jets need to replace a solid cornerback in DJ Reed who signed with the Detroit Lions. They also need a return of the old Sauce Gardner in 2025. The Jets brought in some new players who will have to find a way to fit into the defensive scheme. They also have a lot of questionable depth, so it would be wise to find some mid round help.
Sauce Gardner had a down year in 2024 by his high standards. He needs to get back to the shutdown corner he was his first two seasons. I think Aaron Glenn can be a huge help to him going forward.
Tony Adams had a solid season in 2024, but he may benefit as well with Aaron Glenn as head coach. Adams is very athletic and can be used a big nickel, strong or free safety, or even in the slot. It will be interesting to see how Glenn utilizes Adams.
Michael Carter, like Sauce Gardner, had a down year in 2024, mostly due to a back injury which limited him to only 286 snaps after playing 671 snaps the year before. He too can be a student of the new coach.
Andre Cisco is entering his fifth year in the league after playing in Jacksonville the past four seasons. He too had a down year in 2024, as he allowed a passer rating into his coverage of an amazing 125.7. He also had a 14% missed tackle rate, which is far too high. He signed a one-year contract so he’s betting on himself, which is a good thing.
Brandon Stephens was signed in a move to alleviate the hole left by DJ Reed’s departure. He is entering his fifth season in the NFL. Stephens is actually a poor cover cornerback, but he might be excellent as a box safety. He allowed 12.7 yards per reception in 2024 with zero interceptions. He allowed 65 receptions, which was the fifth most in the NFL. He did have 64 solo tackles, but he allowed a passer rating of 107.4. He’s a large cornerback at 6’ 1” 215 lbs, which makes him poor in transitions. He isn’t fluid in space. We will see how he is used by the Jets in 2025.
Isaiah Oliver split his time between safety and cornerback, but he would be better served as a safety. He has great length, but his speed and agility are only average. We will wait to see how Aaron Glenn uses him.
Qwan’tez Stiggers played only 48 snaps on defense in 2024. He had five tackles, allowing three receptions for 42 yards. He will need to show something in camp to stay.
Jarius Monroe played 17 snaps, making two tackles.
Jarrick Bernard-Converse played six snaps in 2024 with one assisted tackle.
Jaylin Simpson is a safety who didn’t play a snap in 2024.
Kris Boyd played 49 snaps for the Houston Texans in 2024.
This is where trading down while acquiring additional picks come in handy. Finding solid players in the middle rounds is crucial to building a solid team.
I love Maxwell Hairston and Trey Amos as players, but they will be long gone by the middle rounds. A few players who may be available later in the draft are:
Jacob Parrish Kansas State CB/slot
Nohl Williams Cal CB/SS
Caleb Ransaw Tulane CB/S
R. J. Mickens Clemson S (Yes he is the son of the former Jet.)
Kitan Crawford Nevada slot CB
Jacob Parrish is a diminutive, speedy, tenacious cornerback prospect who is fearless and tough, with superior athleticism. He can play any cornerback position but will be used primarily as a slot or nickel corner. He’s feisty and unafraid to stick his nose in to make a tackle. He has 94 tackles in his last 24 games playing 69% of his snaps as a boundary cornerback. He is small but he likes to play press coverage. He attacks the receiver with active hands to force the receiver off his desired path. He has very quick feet with elite speed so he can recover if a gets a step or two behind his man. His speed allows him to be much more disruptive at the line. He has great route recognition. He’s rarely fooled by misdirection in off coverages. He has near elite click and close ability to break up passes. He is lean, with great length for his height. This allows him to come from behind, then knock the ball away as it arrives without interfering. He has excellent ball skills with five interceptions in his last 21 games and zero dropped interceptions in 2024. He has 19 passes defended in his last 24 games with teams targeting him less than six times a game while he often covered #1 receivers. He allowed a completion % of 52.8% in a combination of various coverages. He sees the whole field, not only his man after the snap. He made six tackles for loss in the last 16 games by reading the formation, then sniffing out screens and dump offs. He has great ability to stay in phase with the swiftest receivers. He sits in their hip pocket without grabbing. He will push a receiver running a “9” route to the sideline, which gives the quarterback little room to fit a pass in.
Nohl Williams is a tough, intelligent, ball hawking cornerback prospect who is highly competitive and physical with great hands. He was a consensus All-American in 2024. Williams plays a tough, physical style and he led the nation in interceptions in 2024 with seven. He has 14 career interceptions, with at least one every season in college football. He plays good angles. He reads the quarterback’s eyes in off and zone coverages and is sticky in man coverage. He’s one of those players who just seems to find the ball. He has three career forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries, two returned for touchdowns. His ability making interceptions goes back to his high school days when he had 74 tackles and seven interceptions to lead his team to a state championship. He bullies receivers at the line in press coverage, which disrupts the timing of the offensive play. He is quick to recognize route combinations from zone coverage. He excels with the ball in the air as he has better hands than many of the receivers he is covering. He will press boundary routes to the sideline in man coverage to give a quarterback less area to throw into. He’s also a solid tackler who missed only three of the 55 tackles he attempted. He is a very instinctive player who senses where he needs to be during a play. He is scheme versatile as he has played on press man, cover 3, off man and quarters schemes with little variation in his level of play. He also has extensive experience on special teams as a gunner and returner, and he has 27 kickoff returns, one going for a touchdown.
Caleb Ransaw is a tough, intelligent, hybrid safety prospect who has great speed and desire and is an excellent tackler. He can play in a number of positions including nickel, dual safety, single high safety, slot corner and as a plus 1 Robber. He reads the play well, especially on the line where he can run down running backs from behind. He is a superior tackler who missed only four tackles in 95 tackling attempts in the past 26 games. When a running back is coming around the edge with speed, Ranshaw is not afraid to stick his shoulder in the midsection. No ankle grabs, no taking the legs out, he looks for a wrap tackle with him driving his man back and landing atop. He is super athletic. He has the speed to roam sideline to sideline or sprint 50 yards behind him to cover a deep ball. He is at home on the line being physical as he is in the open spaces of the secondary to make plays. He allowed only 10 of 23 targets against him to be completed in 2024. He looks to knock down the ball if he can, but if the catch is completed, he looks to rake the ball from the receiver’s hands before he completes the catch. He has a quick, smooth, fluid pedal in coverage with solid click and close ability when the ball is in the air. When he is the last man on the line he will hold the edge, making the running back cut back inside which allows linebackers and safeties to fill the holes. He is not a glory seeker; he plays his position the right way.
R. J. Mickens is a speedy, intelligent, athletic safety prospect with great length, good strength and the ability to play all over the secondary. He was asked to play as a deep safety about 45% of the time in 2024, using his ability to scan the field while reading pass route combinations but also keeping one eye on the quarterback. He looks to make plays on crossing routes or “9” routes where he can come over quickly to intercept or break up the pass. He’s highly athletic with a strong upper body combined with quick feet to work from the slot to deep safety and everywhere in between. He spent 41.5 % of his 2024 snaps as a box defender working as a plus 1 in run support while also covering tight ends, where his size and length come in very handy. He also spent 13% of his snaps helping out as a cornerback or a slot cornerback since his skill set allows him the be very proficient at doing so. He has terrific change of direction ability, which gives him great ability in man coverage. His dad was an 11 year NFL veteran cornerback, so Mickens had a solid foundation growing up. He’s a high character person who is highly respected by his teammates, so much so they named him a team captain in 2024. He has a high football IQ and can call what he sees to teammates as the offense changes formations. He’s rarely fooled by misdirection. He sees screens or draw plays forming so he gets a head start towards the play. He has fluid hips to stay in phase with quick receivers out of the slot.
Kitan Crawford is a tough, quick speedy safety prospect with extensive special teams production, incredible athleticism and solid coverage abilities. He spent four seasons at Texas, where he dominated on special teams where he was a gunner, blocked a field goal and was an honorable mention Big 12 special teams player of the year. He started 12 of 13 games after transferring to Nevada in 2024. There he was used all over the secondary, playing 851 defensive snaps with 41.3% coming as a deep safety in one and two deep looks. He played 36.7% of his snaps in the box as a plus 1 and as a cover man on tight ends. He played 20.8% of his snaps in the slot showing his quickness against slot receivers in coverage. He has a quick first step with excellent speed and oily hips, allowing him to make swift changes of direction look fluid. Quarterbacks had a 47.4 passer rating throwing into his coverage. He allowed only 17 receptions, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, including a 52-yard pick six. He is a willing tackler who breaks down when he approaches his opponent, then attempts the tackle. He has good length for his size which helps in pass defense. He has a lean frame which allows him to play over coverage yet come from behind to poke the ball away without incurring a pass interference penalty. He was a stalwart on special teams throughout his college career, which is where he will likely initially make his bones in the NFL. He sees the play well, reads the formation and reacts on the snap. He had 76 tackles in 2024 from all over the field which led the team.
I don’t know how much draft capital the Jets will spend in these two areas but they need quality depth in both. It’s a long season and that depth is needed.
Who are the players you like?