Jermaine Johnson’s return could rescue the Jets’ sinking defense

I was someone who expected the New York Jets' defense to be very solid this season. I didn't think they would be in the top five. I certainly thought they'd be close to the top half of the league, though. The truth is, they have top-end talent but lack depth. That is crushing them right now.

It doesn't help that some of the top-end talent, notably Sauce Gardner, has underperformed so far. But what also hasn't helped is injuries to some of that top-end talent.

A big piece of the entire puzzle is the pass rush, of course, and the loss of Jermaine Johnson has hamstrung the Jets' pass rush, almost completely.

The Jets best player and team captain, Quinnen Williams, made a point to address this when speaking to reporters on Thursday.

"We haven't been pass rushing like we want to be... We just got to find a way to get to the quarterback, and affect the quarterback, because I think that's the number one thing that's gonna help this defense."

Quinnen Williams

If there's one thing that Jermaine Johnson can do, it's "affect" the quarterback. His return to the practice field on Thursday could largely remedy this facet of the defense.

Jermaine Johnson's return will provide a huge boost to the Jets' defense

The Jets have a total of seven sacks this year. That is fewer than all but seven teams in the league. Will McDonald is the only Jets player to reach two full sacks. Pro Football Focus grades their pass rush as a 65.6, which ranks 25th overall in the league. The numbers bear it out — it's been close to as bad as it gets.

But if there's one thing that Johnson knows how to do, it's rush the passer. That's why he has a job. 2024 was a lost season for Johnson, as he only appeared in two games thanks to an Achilles tear.

His lower legs continue to give him trouble, as he is currently recovering from an ankle injury. He's on the way back, though, as he's made his return to the practice field and is expected to suit up on Sunday.

The only other serious pass-rusher the Jets have is McDonald, so this defense getting snaps from Johnson will be like a fish sucking oxygen, finally getting a dose of water. The last time we saw Johnson for a full season was 2023. In 17 games, he finished with 7.5 sacks and a 73.7 pass rush grade from PFF.

He doesn't hurt you in the run game either, having earned a 71.0 run defense grade and a 69.8 tackle grade in 2023. As long as he's ready to go and he can maintain his health, he should be a boon to the edge rush without sacrificing outside contain. Even McDonald doesn't provide this, with an abysmal 39.5 run defense grade and 29.5 tackle grade.

What it really comes down to is that almost anything is a huge upgrade on the outside for the Jets right now. If they are to finally put up a 1 in the "W" section of the standings, they're going to need the defense to put up a fight.

They can only do that if the pressure bails out spotty coverage and forces errant passing. Gardner hasn't been Gardner, Brandon Stephens has been inconsistent at best, and Michael Carter II has been borderline unplayable. The defense can only break through with a significant improvement up front.

That improvement may be getting healthy at the perfect time.