Jets DL Harrison Phillips: Defensive Line’s Mentor Takes No. 17 Spot in 2026

New York Jets defensive lineman Harrison Phillips (97) participates in a drill during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After spending our last couple of picks talking about the wide receiver room, we are jumping back into the trenches on the defensive side. Coming in at No. 17 in our top 25 rankings of the most important Jets in 2026 is veteran defensive lineman Harrison Phillips.

Phillips was acquired last preseason and was one of the few bright spots on the Jets’ defensive line. The Jets sent a 2026 and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for Phillips and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

It was a good low-cost, high-reward move for Mougey, as Phillips had signed a two-year, $15 million extension in Minnesota in 2024, keeping him with Gang Green through the 2026 season. Last year, the veteran defensive lineman was the team’s best run defender, outside of Quinnen Williams, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2025 campaign.

Now, they’re looking for Phillips to continue to play an integral part on a revamped defensive line, while also being a mentor to T’Vondre Sweat, who has a lot of potential and could help New York’s run defense improve drastically.

Why is Harrison Phillips so important

New York Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When you look at the Jets’ raw run defense stats (allowing 139.5 yards per game, fourth-most in the league), one could argue that Phillips wasn’t that big a difference-maker.

However, his PFF grades say otherwise, and you could say that without Phillips, the Jets might have been in a worse spot in the middle of the defense. They didn’t have Quinnen Williams for the second half of the season, and Mazi Smith, who they got back in the Williams trade, was a no-show.

According to Pro Football Focus, Phillips had a run defense grade of 76.2, which ranked sixth among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen. Without him, the Jets’ run defense is likely getting pummeled and exploited up the middle. With Phillips, they didn’t have to worry about that.

Looking ahead to this season, New York’s run defense should be quite formidable with Phillips, Sweat, and David Onyemata leading the way.

Harrison Phillips’s strengths and weaknesses

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson tries to escape New York Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and linebacker Mykal Walker during their home game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Phillips’ biggest strength is his actual strength, which has helped him make a living as one of the better interior defensive linemen at stopping the run in the NFL. Coming out of the draft in 2018, he had 42 bench press reps at the NFL Scouting Combine.

That is nothing to sneeze at and is a good weapon to have on the defensive line. He can push the pocket to create pressure, but also clog up the rushing lanes. In his first year with the Jets, he had 60 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, two pass deflections, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble, and a half sack.

Phillips also recorded 29 stops, which was good for 15th among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen. We can add that his availability is a strength, as Phillips hasn't missed a game over four consecutive years.

As for Phillips’ weakness, he’s not a defensive tackle who will rack up sacks from the interior. He had a 56.2 pass rush grade (ranking 99th among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen), per Pro Football Focus, which isn’t terrible.

However, when you compare his grade to Sweat, who graded out at 74.1 as a pass rusher, or even Jowon Briggs (85.6), it shows there are varying levels of success. That said, the Jets aren't depending on Phillips to rush the passer, as they have several guys on the front seven who can take care of that.

What happens if Harrison Phillips gets hurt

New York Jets defensive lineman Harrison Phillips (97) participates in a drill during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Phillips were to go down at some point during the regular season, it would be a notable loss for the Jets’ run defense. However, the Jets wouldn’t need to press the panic button.

As we mentioned earlier, the Jets will likely have T’Vondre Sweat anchoring the interior, and they could give more snaps to Briggs, who started eight games in 2025. In his first year with the team, Briggs had 38 combined tackles, 10 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble.

In addition to Briggs, the Jets could lean on David Onyemata, who is an underrated run stopper and can line up inside, which will be great for what Aaron Glenn wants to do on defense. We also can’t forget about rookie Darrell Jackson Jr., and even Kingsley Enagbare, who can also play some snaps at defensive tackle.

Needless to say, Glenn will have a litany of options to utilize across the front seven if an injury were to happen.

Why we ranked Harrison Phillips here

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) makes a throw against New York Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The veteran defensive lineman won’t put up gaudy stats, as his goal is to help stop the run by any means necessary. However, that still doesn’t diminish his impact on the field or off it.

The 6-foot-3, 307-pound defensive lineman has made it a point to take Sweat under his wing, which isn’t a bad idea, as the ex-Titans defender has all the talent in the world to be one of the best players in the league. He needs to refine his skills and round into form, and who better to learn from than Phillips, who has been in the league for going on nine seasons.

With all the new additions plus Phillips, there’s no reason to think this run defense won’t be much improved in 2026. If Phillips lives up to expectations and does his part to get this unit back on track, the Jets won’t have any choice but to re-sign him to another multi-year deal. He’s one of the veteran voices on this team that’s respected and is trying to establish the culture.