Jets Getting NFL Draft Buzz for Big Ten DB After Free Agency Spending Spree

The Jets have added a lot of talent to their defense, but they still have holes to fill on the roster...

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmets during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The New York Jets made a slew of big moves in free agency to open up the early tampering period. They agreed to deals with players like Demario Davis, Joseph Ossai, and Dane Belton, among others.

All of the Jets moves seemed to push the defense in the direction that head coach Aaron Glenn wants to go. They're going to be a very physical defense with the ability to take the ball away, which wasn't the identity of the 2025 Jets defense whatsoever.

With the NFL draft coming up, the Jets need to make the right moves to land the prospects that help bolster this defense.

Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine recently suggested the Jets could find a late NFL draft gem with Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa, who's projected to go a bit later in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jets could make sense for draft prospect Xavier Nwankpa

Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) reacts after a flag is thrown on a play during a football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Aaron Glenn is still chasing the kind of physical defense, tone-setting defense he helped build in Detroit. Xavier Nwankpa is the kind of prospect that reinforces that mindset," Ballentine wrote. "The Iowa Hawkeye spent a lot of time lined up as a deep safety, but he did his best work around the line of scrimmage. The 6'2", 208-pound defender has some positional versatility, but it's his willingness to get in the mix that should endear him to the Jets coaching staff.

"Malachi Moore is the only sure thing coming back to the Jets roster at safety this season so that they could be looking for new answers on the depth chart. Nwankpa could definitely contribute on special teams while the staff figures out the best way to utilize him in the secondary."

The Jets need to add another top safety to their defense if they want to continue improving the overall unit.

Nwankpa would be a solid depth addition who could emerge as a starter if he can play at NFL speed. In college, he was a very physical playmaker who always found himself around the ball, but there's room to worry that the NFL could be too fast for him.

Still, that shouldn't scare the Jets away. His physicality could help transform the next generation of the Jets defense in Glenn's eyes.