In the event you’re studying this, Intrepid New York Jets Fan, try to be lauded to your loyalty to a franchise that hasn’t had a successful season since 2015, hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010 (the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez period!), has gone by means of extra unhealthy quarterbacks than any staff ought to, as soon as employed Adam Gase to be its head coach on function, and has the NFL’s worst successful share since 2016 — .297, which is what a 49-116 document will get you.
Hope got here within the type of new head coach Aaron Glenn in 2025, as the previous first-round choose of the Jets and ex-Detroit Lions defensive coordinator appeared to have all of it on the ball in methods his predecessors didn’t. The corresponding 3-14 document, the staff’s worst since Gase’s 2-14 mark in his closing season of 2020, made it appear as if Glenn was yet one more head coach who obtained the large inexperienced swimsuit, after which puked throughout it.
In reality, the primary challenge was one thing that Glenn couldn’t actually management. As a result of in as we speak’s NFL, if you happen to don’t have a legitimate quarterback, you may as properly cancel the season earlier than you start. The mixture of Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Prepare dinner has been changed within the close to time period by the return of Geno Smith, who could or could not have extra left within the tank than he was in a position to present within the Las Vegas Raiders’ damaged offense in 2025.
If the Jets can get any approximation of the Geno Smith that loved a profession resurgence in Seattle, that’s one field checked. Glenn and normal supervisor Darren Mougey did all they may to test different packing containers by enjoying musical chairs with most positions on the roster. Between free company, the commerce market, and the draft, the Jets’ 2026 lineup will look startlingly completely different than the variations we noticed in 2025, and that’s not a foul factor in any respect.
As a result of there’s nowhere to go however up, children.
“I’ve learned a lot, we’ve learned a lot,” Mougey stated at his end-of-season press convention in January, when he was requested why he’s assured in a turnaround after all the things that went mistaken in 2025. “We’ve got a clear vision. AG and I. We talk daily on this roster, and the vision, and this division. And with the assets we have moving forward, the draft capital, the cap space, I know we’re going to continue to build, and add good players to the team that are going to help us win.”
Properly, let’s take a look at three of these gamers — the Hidden Gems for the 2026 New York Jets. One underrated veteran, one underrated free agent (okay, traded participant — I cheated on this one), and one underrated draft choose.
Three gamers who could possibly unearth any degree of success from a decade of ruins.
Underrated veteran: EDGE Will McDonald IV
New York Jets defensive finish Will McDonald IV (9) celebrates after sacking Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throughout an NFL Week 10 sport between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Photos
Whenever you’re evaluating draft prospects and their transitions to the NFL, there are occasions when school schemes get in the best way.
That is positively true for any defensive lineman enjoying in Iowa State’s 3-3-5 protection. Whenever you’re operating a base three-man entrance with little hybrid four-man fronts to undergo, how usually are you going to see the hole positioning on the NFL degree? Not very. This was an issue when evaluating Will McDonald IV when he got here out for the 2023 draft, as a result of it was a bit irritating to see a 6’ 3⅝, 239-pound pace finish with ridiculous athletic potential lined up straight inside or outdoors the offensive sort out time and again, taking up double groups when he wasn’t actually constructed for these energy conditions.
(This, by the best way, is the first motive that Iowa State defensive lineman Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange lasted all the best way to the third spherical, the place the Minnesota Vikings completely stole him).
I in contrast McDonald to Robert Quinn based mostly on what I may deduce, and I used to be joyful to see the Jets take him with the fifteenth general choose within the 2023 draft.
After a four-sack, 12-pressure rookie season, McDonald began to stay as much as that promise in 2024, with 11 sacks and 61 pressures. 2025 confirmed extra of the identical, as McDonald had eight sacks and 42 pressures final season in simply 385 pass-rushing snaps, regardless of a Week 15 knee damage in opposition to the New Orleans Saints that ended his season early.
McDonald’s greatest sport in 2025 got here in Week 10 in opposition to the Cleveland Browns; his four-sack, seven-pressure efficiency got here simply after the Jets had principally bailed on the 2026 season by buying and selling Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, and Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. Someone needed to set the tone for that immediately barren protection, and McDonald was vociferous in his response.
“I know those boys are doing good and doing their thing,” McDonald stated postgame. “I appreciate everything that Quinnen did for this organization, especially for the D-line. He definitely got me right. Coming in as a rookie, he taught me a lot of things. Just the aspect of how to play defense – if I was inside, how to rush here, how to rush there. Sauce was always one of the guys that you wanted to be around. It was kind of heartbreaking to see them leave, but we’re going continue to carry on with the things we have now, and keep trusting the process.
“We’re going to get right.”
The method is now accentuated by second general choose David Bailey as McDonald’s edge bookend, in addition to a bunch of different new defenders (as many as eight new starters on that facet of the ball). The Jets picked up McDonald’s fifth-year choice within the hope that he can proceed to guide the protection with each phrase and deed.
He’s already completed so on the good time for an imperfect staff. And whereas McDonald isn’t but seen nationally as a premier edge-rusher, the instruments and drive are there.
Underrated free agent traded participant: DI T’Vondre Sweat
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 15: TVondre Sweat #93 of the Tennessee Titans returns a fumble and stiff arms Alex Cappa #65 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bengals defeated the Titans 37-27. (Picture by Wesley Hitt/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
A kind of potential starters is new defensive sort out T’Vondre Sweat, who got here to the Jets in a uncommon one-for-one participant commerce with the Tennessee Titans, who obtained edge-rusher Jermaine Johnson within the deal. New Titans and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh was in search of outdoors pass-rush assist for his four-on-the-floor fronts, and he noticed Sweat as expendable.
Gang Inexperienced was fairly joyful to be on the proper facet of that cut price. Whereas Sweat’s numbers don’t pop off the display, his tape actually does, as a result of there may be completely no manner in hell {that a} 6’4, 362-pound dude ought to be capable of transfer like he does. That tape makes up for the 4 sacks and 41 pressures Sweat has put up within the NFL for the reason that Titans took him with the thirty eighth general choose within the second spherical of the 2024 draft out of Texas.
At his greatest, Sweat seems like he may very well be the subsequent Dexter Lawrence — that one-of-one particular person who can obtain issues bodily that make so sense. Accidents and conditioning can all the time be points with folks this dimension, and Sweat did miss 5 of the primary six video games of the 2025 season resulting from an ankle challenge.
However when he’s on? DAMN.
“He’s a big man that’s agile,” Glenn stated of Sweat in June. “He’s tough, he’s competitive, he has long arms, he demands a double-team block. The things that I believe in when it comes to D-line and how we play our D-line. So, any time you get somebody of that magnitude that actually fits exactly what you’re doing, you think about how you can put that player on your team. It just happened that we were able to make the swap with those two guys. Looking forward to seeing him grow, especially with the pads on, so we can see exactly how he can dominate inside.”
Glenn in contrast Sweat to Kris Jenkins, the 6’4, 360-pound nostril sort out who performed within the NFL from 2001-2010, and with the Jets for the final three years of his profession. Jenkins was additionally uncommon in his skill to maneuver for a person his dimension, which allowed him to make 4 Professional Bowls, and garner two First-Group All-Professional nominations.
Sweat isn’t fairly there but, and he received’t have Jeffery Simmons alongside him to absorb double groups as he did in Tennessee, however the promise of higher issues is far and wide, and the ascent may start now.
Underrated draft choose: CB D’Angelo Ponds
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 27: D’Angelo Ponds #DB25 of Indiana participates in a drill through the 2026 NFL Scouting Mix at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
Usually talking, I attempt to preserve the “Hidden Gems” draft picks to the third day. However I’m making an exception in D’Angelo Ponds’ case, as a result of though the Jets chosen the 5’ 8⅝, 182-pound Ponds with the fiftieth general choose within the 2026 draft, he’s not getting the respect he deserves as a full-fledged defender. At his dimension, Ponds was doomed to fit utilization within the minds of many, and although that’s not the profession loss of life sentence it was once earlier than the times of a number of coverages and nickel because the NFL’s base protection, Ponds is extra of an afterthought for the subsequent degree than he must be.
Final season for the nationwide champion Indiana Hoosiers, Ponds allowed 34 catches on 64 targets for 379 yards, 56 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, 9 move breakups, and an opponent passer score of 55.4.
By the best way, six of these move breakups got here when Ponds was enjoying outdoors cornerback — he was on the market on 57% of his snaps final season, and allowed 26 catches on 47 targets when doing so.
Glenn has stated that he sees himself in Ponds, which is sensible — at 5’9 and 186 kilos, Glenn performed within the NFL from 1994 by means of 2008, racking up 41 profession interceptions at a time when small cornerbacks needed to be really distinctive to get the eye of NFL shot-callers. I additionally see plenty of Antoine Winfield Sr. in Ponds’ sport; the elder Winfield gave opposing receivers agita for 14 NFL seasons from 1999 by means of 2012 at 5’9 and 180 kilos.
Will Ponds primarily stay within the slot? Almost certainly. Doesn’t imply there are not any different choices for his expertise, although. Personally, I imagine that if he was two inches taller, he would have been a High 15 choose, and we’d be speaking about him as a legit Sauce Gardner substitute.
“D’Angelo is his own man,” Glenn stated in April of the comparisons. “He’s a guy that we love. Man, the traits speak for themselves, when it comes to height, weight and all of that. The physical characteristics of the player overcome a lot of the traits that he has, in terms of his height. I love the player. Tough, aggressive, [and] comes from a winning program.”
If Ponds brings any of that successful sauce (or Sauce) to the Jets, don’t be shocked. He’s been doubted time and again for his dimension, and he retains shutting the naysayers up.
“Recruiting was really slow for me,” Ponds stated after the Jets picked him. “I had mostly Group of Five [non-power FBS conference] offers, or Sun Belt offers. A lot of teams didn’t want me because of my size. But like I said, I’ve always had to earn it.
“Nothing was given to me, and they kind of regretted it later.”
Prepare for the subsequent reckoning.
