Jets’ Jermaine Johnson II Trade Value Doesn’t Add Up

The New York Jets have had a long week so far and it's only Wednesday, as of writing.

New York is not only still looking to fill the open defensive coordinator job, but now also the offensive coordinator job as well. The Jets also fired a handful of coaches and need to replace them as well. Essentially, it's going to be mass turnover for the coaching staff this offseason, aside from Aaron Glenn and a few others.

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These decisions are going to take some time. Then, the attention will turn to the roster. The Jets have plenty of cap space — over $66 million right now with a chance for more, per Over The Cap — plus a handful of high-end draft picks, including the No. 2 pick.

The Jets have decisions to make

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

For the Jets, this is going to be an important offseason as they try to get the team back on track after a 3-14 2025 campaign. The Jets need to rebuild the coaching staff and supplement the roster with more pieces. There will surely be guys coming to town, but there will also be more turnover. Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox threw Jermaine Johnson II's name out there while projecting the trade value for various players around the league. For Johnson, Knox projected a third-round pick this year and a fifth-round pick next year.

"Projected Trade Value: 2026 3rd-Round Pick, 2027 5th-Round Pick," Knox wrote. "The New York Jets began the teardown portion of their latest rebuild at last year's trade deadline. They moved standout defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and No. 1 cornerback Sauce Gardner for draft capital in-season. New York may look to continue selling off pieces this offseason, and Jermaine Johnson II would be a logical trade candidate. The 2022 first-round pick was a Pro Bowler in his second season but missed most of 2024 with a torn Achilles and struggled when on the field in 2025.

"Johnson logged 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss during his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign but had just three sacks and five tackles for loss this past season. Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, the 27-year-old may be more valuable to the Jets as a trade chip. New York might not expect a massive return for Johnson, given his recent injury history, but a third-round pick is probably a good starting point. That's what the Miami Dolphins got for Jaelan Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline."

This may be the projected value, but it would be somewhat surprising to see Johnson get traded for a deal like this. Around the trade deadline, it was reported by Connor Hughes of SNY that there was a second-round pick on the table for Johnson, but they didn't oblige. Clearly, the Jets view Johnson highly. So, while some around the league may view a third-round pick as his projected value plus a mid-round pick, that doesn't mean the Jets feel the same.

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