• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

New York Sports Today

New York Sports News Continuously updated

Jets need defensive front to play a crucial role in 2025

July 17, 2025 by Empire Sports Media

Will McDonald, Jets
Lucas Boland-Imagn ImagesLucas Boland-Imagn Images

The Jets’ defense last season did not end up panning out like they wanted it to last season. Now in 2025, they look to bounce back and reach the next level. To do that, the defensive front needs to kick it into extra gear.

Jermaine Johnson II and Will McDonald IV need to get after the quarterback

The Jets’ young duo of edge rushers, Jermaine Johnson II and Will McDonald IV, needs to get after the quarterback in order for this defense to get into form.

Johnson is coming off a torn achilles injury that he suffered early in the 2024 season. He looks to bounce back and have a healthy season for the Jets, which is something they need with not much depth at the position.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) waits for play to resume during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The Jets may take it easy with him in the early weeks of the season and may lessen his workload to make sure his adjustment goes smoothly.

McDonald has been getting hype all offseason for the weight and muscle he has added since the end of last season. This comes after a year where he had 10.5 sacks, 28 tackles, and 24 hits on the quarterback.

Even new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has addressed his weight gain, as he is enamored by it. This is big for the Jets, as they are seeing big physical progress from a player whom they spent a quality draft pick on.

The Jets’ run defense needs to step up

To go along with a good pass rush, the Jets need the interior of their defensive line to step up big time against the run.

This starts with the big man up front, Quinnen Williams. He is a big force on the defensive line, and he controls everything up front.

His run defense is outstanding, along with all aspects of his game. Williams last year had six sacks, 37 tackles, and was elected to the Pro Bowl. But, there are other players alongside him that need to have big seasons.

East Rutherford, NJ    October 1, 2023   Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets out of the grasp of Quinnen Williams of the Jets in the second half. The New York Jets host the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on October 1, 2023.
Credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jets added some depth at the defensive tackle position, including Derrick Nnadi from the Kansas City Chiefs. He will most likely start next to Williams, creating a strong duo up front.

All in all, this Jets defense should be good in 2025. It’ll all start with this defensive front, which needs to have a big season for this team to take off.

!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();

Filed Under: Jets

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Former Rangers coach Gerard Gallant headed to Russia for mystery KHL role
  • Knicks 88, Pacers 91: Good news and bad news as comeback effort falls short
  • Why is Pete Alonso worth so much less than Rafael Devers?
  • Yankees Interested In Mitch Keller
  • Yankees activate new bullpen arm, demote struggling rookie reliever

Categories

Archives

Our Partners

All Sports

  • 247 Sports
  • Bleacher Report
  • Elite Sports NY
  • Empire Sports Media
  • Empire Writes Back
  • MSG Networks
  • New York Daily News
  • New York Times
  • New York Post
  • Newsday
  • OurSports Central
  • SNY - SportsNet New York
  • The Sports Daily
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • The Spun
  • USA Today
  • WFAN Sports Radio
  • YES Network

Baseball

  • MLB.com - Yankees
  • MLB.com - Mets
  • Amazin Avenue
  • Last Word On Baseball - Mets
  • Last Word On Baseball - Yankees
  • MLB Trade Rumors - Yankees
  • MLB Trade Rumors - Mets
  • Rising Apple
  • Yanks Go Yard

Basketball

  • NBA.com - Knicks
  • NBA.com - Nets
  • Amico Hoops - Knicks
  • Amico Hoops - Nets
  • Daily Knicks
  • Hoops Hype - Knicks
  • Hoops Hype - Nets
  • Hoops Rumors - Knicks
  • Hoops Rumors - Nets
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball - New York Knicks
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball - Brooklyn Nets
  • Nets Daily
  • Nets Wire
  • Nothing But Nets
  • Posting And Toasting
  • Pro Basketball Talk - Knicks
  • Pro Basketball Talk - Nets
  • Real GM - Knicks
  • Real GM - Nets

Football

  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Big Blue Interactive
  • Big Blue View
  • Gang Green Nation
  • Giants Gab
  • Giants Wire
  • Gmen HQ
  • Jets Fix
  • Jets Gab
  • Jet Nation
  • Jets Wire
  • Last Word On Pro Football - New York Giants
  • Last Word On Pro Football - New York Jets
  • NFL Trade Rumors - Giants
  • NFL Trade Rumors - Jets
  • Our Turf Football - Giants
  • Our Turf Football - Jets
  • Pro Football Focus - Giants
  • Pro Football Focus - Jets
  • Pro Football Rumors - Giants
  • Pro Football Rumors - Jets
  • Pro Football Talk - Giants
  • Pro Football Talk - Jets
  • The Gang Green
  • The Jet Press
  • Total Giants
  • Total Jets
  • Turn On The Jets
  • Ultimate NYG

Hockey

  • All About The Jersey
  • Blue Line Station
  • Blue Shirt Banter
  • Elite Prospects - Devils
  • Elite Prospects - Islanders
  • Elite Prospects - Rangers
  • Eyes On Isles
  • Last Word On Hockey - Devils
  • Last Word On Hockey - Islanders
  • Last Word On Hockey - Rangers
  • Lighthouse Hockey
  • Pro Hockey Rumors - Devils
  • Pro Hockey Rumors - Islanders
  • Pro Hockey Rumors - Rangers
  • Pro Hockey Talk - Devils
  • Pro Hockey Talk - Islanders
  • Pro Hockey Talk - Rangers
  • Pucks And Pitchforks
  • The Hockey Writers - Devils
  • The Hockey Writers - Islanders
  • The Hockey Writers - Rangers

Soccer

  • Last Word on Soccer - NYC FC
  • Last Word on Soccer - Red Bulls
  • Last Word on Soccer - Sky Blue FC
  • MLS Multiplex - NYC FC
  • MLS Multiplex - Red Bulls
  • Once A Metro

Colleges

  • Against All Enemies
  • Big East Coast Bias
  • Busting Brackets
  • College Football News
  • College Sports Madness
  • Forgotten 5
  • Inside The Loud House
  • Orange Fizz
  • Rumble In The Garden
  • Saturday Blitz
  • The Daily Orange
  • The UConn Blog
  • Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
  • Zags Blog

Footer

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in