Aaron Glenn Admits Jets' Biggest Need Was the Obvious One

Nothing went as planned last season for the New York Jets, but their inability to do much on the defensive side of the football might have been the most concerning of the bunch. 

The Jets, who were a very good defensive team under head coach Robert Saleh, were one of the worst units in the NFL a year ago. 

The Jets' inability to force takeaways was perhaps the biggest problem of the bunch, though there were also some other concerning signs. Among all of the problems the Jets had, I'd rank the defense at the top of the list, even though the quarterback situation was still among the worst in the NFL by a wide margin.

It was evident that the Jets were looking to change things on defense this offseason, and they did exactly that by bringing in some guys who can make plays and force takeaways. 

I'm not saying the Jets need to have 25 interceptions next season, but being somewhere in the middle of the pack will help this defense a lot, because getting off the field is just as important as anything in the NFL. When speaking to reporters about how that's going to be different this year, it sounds like there's now an effort in place to ensure things will change.

"I think the main proponent of AG's defense is putting the quarterback in a blender, making it really tough on him whether that's through disguises, through pressure, through drafting guys like DB (David Bailey), who is an elite edge rusher," safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said, per the team. "It's just finding ways to put pressure on him and make him make mistakes, and I think that's kind of the main proponent of it."

Bringing defensive backs who can make plays in the secondary certainly was a priority for the Jets this season, with Glenn even going as far as to say that he brought Fitzpatrick and others in because they want guys who can get their hands on the football.

"That's one of the reasons we got him here," Glenn said of Fitzpatrick's playmaking ability. "We want guys that can get their hands on the ball, we want guys that can make plays and we also want guys that when things break down, have the instincts to get us right back where we need to be, give us another chance to have another play. And he's done that throughout his career, so I'm expecting the same."