Jets Training Camp Preview By Position: New-Look Defensive Line Offers Bright Future

The New York Jets' second training camp of the Aaron Glenn era in Florham Park is rapidly approaching, with rookies reporting on July 25 and veterans on July 28.

There will be a lot to be excited about in 2026. A strong offseason has brought forth an infusion of talent. With that comes heightened expectations for an organization that finished with just three wins last year.

Over the next several days, we'll be previewing the Jets' roster by position heading into camp: breaking down the depth chart for each role and answering some of the biggest questions that the team faces.

Today, we focus on a much-improved defensive line room. For this exercise, we'll add the edge rushers in a base 3-4 to the group. Let's break it down.

Defensive Line Depth Chart

Safe Players Interior: Harrison Phillips, David Onyemata, T'Vondre Sweat, Jowon Briggs, Darrell Jackson Jr.
Safe Players Edge: David Bailey, Will McDonald, Kingsley Enagbare, Joseph Ossai
Bubble Players: Tyler Baron, Braiden McGregor, Eric Watts, Payton Page, Jack Heflin, Mazi Smith

Can David Bailey have normal top pick impact?

Any player drafted as a top-two pick in the draft has expectations to impact the roster immediately. For former Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, those expectations won't be diminished on the Jets this season.

Bailey enters the NFL as college football's top edge rusher, having led the country in both sacks (14.5) and tackles for loss (19.5). He helped lead Texas Tech to the College Football Playoff on an elite defense.

Now in New York, Bailey will need to be impactful right away to prove himself worthy of the top non-quarterback taken in April's draft. Five or six sacks this year won't cut it. He's going to need to be as close to a 10-sack-a-season player as they come.

Regardless of what expectations are, Bailey is coming into camp with all eyes on him.

What will the interior rush rotation look like?

Last season, the Jets brought in Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs via trades. Both ended up being the best defensive linemen the Jets had throughout the year.

This year, each of their roles has changed. T'Vondre Sweat and David Onyemata were brought in to help the team's maligned run defense. With the four perceived pieces along the inside, the Jets will need to determine who is on the field for certain situations.

Against the pass, for example, the Jets will want Briggs and Phillips on the field. When there are obvious run downs, Sweat, Onyemata, and Phillips will want to be on the field together at the same time.

How the defense handles its rush rotations will be interesting going into training camp this year. They are far deeper along the interior than they have been in years.

The chicken or the egg?

This question may seem out of place. But when it comes to the Jets' defense, the question centers around the very concepts of improvement.

New York had a turnover problem last year. They couldn't force fumbles and became the first team in league history not to record an interception. Some analysts believed that was due to their struggles in coverage last year, as they didn't have the corners or safeties necessary to make big plays.

Other analysts argued a poor pass rush was the cause, as quarterbacks had all day to pick apart their secondary to begin with.

To fix the Jets' defense, the team must choose what comes first: the secondary or the front seven? The chicken or the egg?

If the team is to find success, a balance between the two works best. But it all starts up front. If the organization cannot generate pressure, it doesn't matter how many talented players are in the back end. It won't be enough.

Player to Watch: Jowon Briggs

Depending on the analyst you ask, Briggs' 2025 season was controversial. Some looked to his pass-rushing prowess and high PFF score (73.6) as a reason to say he had a very good year. Remember, this was a player in his second NFL season.

Others argue his work on tape, especially against the run, left a lot to be desired.

If New York is to be successful on defense in 2026, Briggs will need to be a catalyst. Not just because of the need to find players who can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but also because there aren't many solid interior pass rushers on the team this year.

Onyemata and Sweat will be focused solely on stopping the run. They aren't known for their pass rush. But Briggs has a chance to become far more than just a one-dimensional player. He can be the kind of every-down anchor the team has needed.

Lastly, don't forget to check out our other positional previews before rookies report to training camp on July 25.

Training camp previews by position

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