Jets Getting Buzz for Colts DE After Jermaine Johnson Trade

The Jets could replace Jermaine Johnson with Colts defensive end Kwity Paye...

Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (9) and linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) /celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The New York Jets have made a lot of big moves over the last year and they're seemingly trending in the right direction after a disastrous season.

Last season, they opted to trade Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for a haul of draft picks while sending Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for another haul of draft capital. As a result, the Jets have a lot of picks in the first two rounds of the next two years.

To kick off the offseason, the Jets opted to trade edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for some cap relief and defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat. They also opted to place the franchise tag on star running back Breece Hall.

Now the Jets will be heading into free agency as they look to bolster their entire roster, but specifically, they're going to need to replace Johnson on the edge. They could use the NFL draft to find the edge rusher they need, but adding one in free agency, too, wouldn't hurt.

Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame recently listed the Jets as one of the top landing spots for Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye. Verderame also projected Paye would sign for $28 million over two years, which would firmly put him in the Jets price range.

Kwity Paye could fit perfectly on the Jets defense

"Paye isn’t one of the big names on the Colts, but he’s a 2021 first-round pick who has been a productive pass rusher throughout his first five seasons," Verderame wrote. "A former Michigan stud, Paye has racked up 30.5 sacks, including four in ’25 alongside nine quarterback hits. At 265 pounds, his biggest concern is durability, as he’s missed 10 career games."

Paye has been good with the Colts during his first five years in the NFL.

He's recorded 30 1/4 sacks in just over 70 games, which sets a pace for around seven or eight sacks per season, if Paye were to play the entire season. Last year was the first time in which he played all 17 games of the season.

Paye wasn't at his best last season, but he could fit on a solid two-year deal as a rotational edge rusher in New York. The Jets have the money to make a move like this without sweating about it.