Jets grab more beef for their defensive line with David Onyemata signing

AG wants his interior defenders BIG.

Charlie Baduini

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The New York Jets' defensive spending spree isn't slowing down, with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reporting that the team has agreed to terms with former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata on a one-year, $10.5 million deal with $9.65 million of the contract guaranteed.

Onyemata, the 120th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Manitoba, began his career with the New Orleans Saints, where Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was the defensive backs coach from 2016 to 2020.

Clearly, the two still have a relationship dating back to their Saints days, and it could've been a driving force in Onyemata making his way to New York.

Either way, the Jets get another 300-pound body to add to their defensive front, and it's only going to make things harder for opposing offensive lines when you add in T'Vondre Sweat, Jowon Briggs, and Harrison Phillips.

David Onyemata might be the Jets' most underrated addition

When you look at Onyemata on the surface, it may seem like he's just a depth player, a veteran playing on a one-year deal. Even his low statistical outputs would paint that picture. He only recorded one sack and seven tackles for loss in 2025 with the Falcons.

But according to Pro Football Focus, the 33-year-old was the eighth-highest graded interior defensive lineman in all of football last year out of 134 qualified players.

FanSided's Jason Kandel believed Onyemata would be one of the best possible bargain signings for any team in free agency this year.

"David Onyemata is one of the bigger bargains you will find in free agency. While some teams are more focused on John Franklin-Myers and D.J. Reader, contending teams looking to save money should take a look at Onyemata. Even at 33, he recorded a career-high in tackles and finished inside the top 10 in PFF and run defense grade, so he still has a lot of good football left in the tank."
Jason Kandel

The Jets are clearly looking to attack defense early on in free agency, and it's safe to say Glenn and Darren Mougey have been able to put down a foundation for a new defense early in 2026.

Obviously, there are still more moves to be made, and New York likely isn't done yet. Keep up to date with any and all Jets moves here.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.