Jets rookie quietly put together breakout performance in Week 6

There hasn’t been much for New York Jets fans to feel optimistic about amid the team’s 0-6 start to the 2025 season, but one of the few bright spots has been the encouraging play of their rookie class

And while much of the attention has understandably gone to top picks Armand Membou and Mason Taylor, one overlooked Day 3 contributor quietly put together a breakout performance in the Jets' Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Rookie fifth-round pick Kiko Mauigoa was one of the Jets’ standout performers on Sunday and a major factor in the team’s defensive success. Making his third start in place of the injured Quincy Williams, Mauigoa delivered the best performance of his young career

He finished with a stellar 86.3 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked fourth among all qualified linebackers (min. 40 snaps) in Week 6. He finished second on the team with nine total tackles (zero missed), four run stops, and a QB pressure, allowing just one catch for four yards in coverage.

It was a breakout showing from a young linebacker who has been thrust into a prominent role much earlier than the Jets anticipated. If Sunday was any indication, they might have unearthed a hidden Day 3 gem.

Kiko Mauigoa shined for the Jets in Week 6

The Jets selected Mauigoa with the 162nd overall pick in the fifth round of this year's NFL Draft with the expectation that he would develop behind the duo of Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams as a likely special-teams contributor early in his career.

That was his role to begin the season, but injuries to both Williams and Marcelino McCrary-Ball forced Mauigoa into the starting lineup. He was even asked to shift to weakside linebacker, despite spending most of the preseason as the backup MIKE.

The transition expectedly yielded some rookie growing pains. Mauigoa posted consecutive PFF graders below 52.0 in each of his first two starts, struggling in coverage while missing over 30% of his tackle attempts.

But it all seemed to click for the former Miami standout in Week 6. Mauigoa was one of the best players on a Jets defense that held Bo Nix and the Broncos to just 13 points. It was an incredibly encouraging performance from a player who has a real chance to carve out a long-term role in New York.

Williams is set to be a free agent in the offseason and has also found himself as the subject of trade rumors. It seems unlikely that he's still with the Jets in 2026, meaning the opportunity will be there for Mauigoa to earn a permanent starting job.

The Jets could badly use a productive young linebacker on a team-friendly rookie deal after handing Sherwood $15 million per year this offseason. If Mauigoa develops into a true starting-caliber player, it would be a huge boost to the team’s long-term roster-building plans at the linebacker position.

Mauigoa’s emergence provides a rare bright spot for a Jets defense in need of playmakers. If he continues to develop, he could become a cornerstone of the team’s future on defense.