One Least Surprising Jets Cut to Expect After OTAs

Sep 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets defensive end Braiden McGregor (55) before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Outside of rushing the ball, the New York Jets didn’t excel in many areas last season. One of the areas where they struggled most was generating pressure, recording the fewest quarterback pressures (87) and the second-fewest sacks (26). 

Besides Will McDonald, the Jets couldn’t get much production from their edge rush group. This led general manager Darren Mougey to prioritize strengthening the unit in the offseason, adding David Bailey, Joseph Ossai, and Kingsley Enagbare to the mix. 

Although it is not among the league’s best edge-rush rooms, the unit is significantly improved over last year’s iteration and is now crowded at the position. In addition to those four, New York also has Braiden McGregor, Eric Watts, Tyler Baron, and Kingsley Jonathan. 

Considering that the Jets carried five edge rushers last year, McDonald, Bailey, Ossai, and Enagbare are in line to make the 53-man roster, leaving just one spot potentially up for grabs. 

If this is the case, we should expect Gang Green to cut ties with McGregor. 

McGregor finds himself on the chopping block as OTAs progress

McGregor has been on thin ice long before the offseason began. The former Michigan Wolverine has been given a golden opportunity to earn a rotational role on a team that lacks quality depth and has failed to do anything with it in his two-year tenure.

In 19 games (348 defensive snaps), McGregor has logged only 21 total tackles, one sack, 10 hurries, and six run stops. He hasn’t been an impactful contributor against the run or pass, receiving a 58.9 pass-rush grade and a 33.1 run-defense grade last season, which ranked 114th out of 115 qualified edge rushers, per Pro Football Focus. 

The only consistent role McGregor has had with the Jets is on special teams, and even there, he hasn’t stood out, recording just one tackle. His inability to carve out a significant role with the team puts him on the hot seat. 

Given his lack of production, he’ll need to outperform the others for the final roster spot. Unfortunately for him, McGregor doesn’t have much of an advantage over anyone other than his ideal 6-foot-6 and 267-pound size.

GM Darren Mougey brought in Baron (2025 draft pick) and Jonathan, while Watts has proven to be a better player against the run. 

Additionally, McGregor has made his situation harder by not earning much attention at organized team activities (OTAs) over the last two weeks. Although it’s difficult for edge rushers to make an impact during these non-contact sessions, several Jets defenders have received positive reviews thus far. 

Still, McGregor has plenty of time to distinguish himself in the upcoming weeks; however, the odds are against him. New York has heavily invested in their edge rush unit, and several players are vying for limited roster spots. 

Unless McGregor can display meaningful improvement as both a pass rusher and run defender, it wouldn't be surprising if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster. Given Mougey has already moved on from a handful of players since the start of OTAs, McGregor could be next based on his limited production.