The New York Jets’ offseason decisions continue to be centered around speculation with the roster, as multiple players could be gone. One recent prediction has former first-round edge rusher Jermaine Johnson as someone who could be in the conversation, and it makes sense.
In an article on potential trade candidates in the NFL, Pro Football Focus named Johnson as a name to watch as New York figures out its roster entering Year 2 under head coach Aaron Glenn. While the organization clearly still views Johnson as a big piece of its defense, questions are fair due to where the Jets are as a team.
“The Jets enter the second season of the Aaron Glenn era with fewer answers than they’d like on both sides of the line of scrimmage. With a number of notable players set to become free agents, other holdovers like Johnson could also be on the move. Last season, Johnson returned from an Achilles tear but didn’t look like the same caliber of player. He posted a sub-59.5 PFF run-defense and pass-rush grade across 678 total snaps. In fact, the former first-round pick hasn’t even played 750 snaps in a full season through four campaigns,” Bradley Locker wrote.
“The Jets seem unlikely to snag a quarterback with the second overall pick, but an edge defender like Arvell Reese or David Bailey could be in the cards. In that case, a player like Johnson – a 2027 free agent – could become expendable, especially as New York looks to boost one of the worst pass rushes in the league.”
After showing big-time upside early in his career, the Achilles injury was a significant setback. While he returned to the field last season, it’s tough to ask a player to be the same player when returning from a major injury.
From a roster-building standpoint, the timing is what makes this conversation interesting. If Glenn wants to keep his job, Mougey too, it feels like the Jets shouldn’t continue to tear down the roster, as they need to win. However, there’s also a side of the argument that says Johnson could be a great piece to a contending team and they might get a nice return for his services.
The draft also plays a factor. If New York uses draft capital on an edge defender, whether at No. 2 overall or later in the first round, Johnson can go. Rueben Bain? That’s the guy I’d be looking at for the Jets.