Jets next move after Jermaine Johnson trade couldn't be more clear

The plan of attack going forward is obvious.

Charlie Baduini

New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The New York Jets made one of the first major trades of the 2026 offseason on Thursday, shipping edge Jermaine Johnson II to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat.

In a one-for-one swap, each team got a player they wanted. In the Titans' case, new head coach Robert Saleh lands a player who knows his defensive system, and the Jets get a run-stuffing nose tackle at the heart of their defensive line.

There is one problem for New York now, though. They have a massive hole at edge rusher. It makes their next move all the more obvious.

More obvious than ever Jets will target edge at No. 2 overall

As if there weren't enough mock drafts projecting the Jets to select an edge with the No. 2 overall pick, it's now the only option when New York gets on the clock come April.

Their production was already poor last season. The Jets finished 31st in total quarterback sacks, second-worst only to the San Francisco 49ers. Now, Will McDonald IV needs a running mate, and one of Ohio State's Arvell Reese, Texas Tech's David Bailey, and Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. will be donning the Green & White.

All three have received consideration to be the top edge rusher in the class; it really depends on who you ask. As the NFL Scouting Combine continues in Indianapolis, a clearer picture should emerge of who's on top.

Outside the draft, the Jets aren't likely to spend top-of-the-market money on an edge in free agency with McDonald and a presumptive No. 2 overall pick in the mix, but depth signings make sense.

Detroit Lions outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad is a name that has emerged with ties to Aaron Glenn, and the New Jersey native could be a prime candidate to join New York to help bring a new defensive identity to the team.

Muhammed racked up a career high 11 sacks this past season with Detroit, and The Athletic projected a two-year, $18 million deal for the 31-year-old, something New York can obviously afford.

Some other options that won't cost nearly as much as, say, a Trey Hendrickson or Jaelan Phillips could be Malcolm Koonce, Dre'Mont Jones, or former Jet Jacob Martin.

Regardless, the Jets will have a blue-chip edge rusher on their roster come April. The only question that remains will be which one?

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.