Jets run defense resurgence has a clear source and he is living up to the hype

The New York Jets entered the summer knowing their interior defensive line needed serious help. Depth was thin, NFL-caliber talent was limited behind Quinnen Williams, and the front office understood they couldn’t roll into Week 1 relying on the likes of Jay Tufele and Derrick Nnadi.

That’s why the Jets swung trades for both Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs just weeks before the season opener. Briggs has earned plenty of recent attention, and deservedly so, for his rapid ascent into an outstanding young defensive lineman.

However, Phillips has quietly been every bit as important, especially when it comes to solidifying the team’s run defense. He wasn’t a flashy acquisition, and he didn’t arrive with the same breakout hype that Briggs has generated, but down after down, Phillips has become a foundational piece of the Jets' defensive front.

His impact has been exactly what this defensive line needed. Now, the numbers show just how good he has been.

Harrison Phillips has become an indispensable part of the Jets' defense

Since Week 6, Harrison Phillips has been one of the most dominant run defenders in the entire NFL. Among all qualified interior defensive linemen, he owns Pro Football Focus' second-highest run-defense grade (80.2), trailing only his former teammate, Quinnen Williams.

Phillips hasn’t been credited with a missed tackle since Week 1, and he has produced 11 run stops in his last five games, tied for fourth among all interior defensive linemen over that stretch. His 11.1 percent run-stop rate also ranks among the best in football.

All of that has translated directly into team success. The Jets have quietly pieced together one of the league’s most impressive run-defense stretches in recent weeks.

In their last three games, they’ve held Browns rookie standout Quinshon Judkins to 74 yards on 22 carries (3.4 YPC), Patriots rookie sensation TreVeyon Henderson to 62 yards on 19 carries (3.8 YPC), and Derrick Henry to 64 yards on 21 attempts (3.0 YPC). Phillips has been a driving force in all of it.

What makes his performance even more impressive is the physical toll he’s been playing through. Phillips was spotted in a walking boot after the team’s Week 10 win over Cleveland, dealing with a foot injury significant enough to hold him out of practice.

Yet just two days later, he suited up and played against the Patriots on a short week. He remains on the injury report but continues to battle through it every Sunday.

And for the Jets, the acquisition cost makes this even sweeter. Phillips arrived in a late-summer trade with Minnesota that cost the Jets two future sixth-round picks while also bringing back a 2027 seventh. It was the same day the team added Briggs, another move that looks like a steal for general manager Darren Mougey.

Phillips is doing exactly what the Jets hoped he would do, and he's doing it at a level that should make him a near-lock to start again in 2026. He's not only an emotional veteran leader of the defense, but he's playing at a very high level as well.

You need guys like Harrison Phillips on your roster. The Jets should be thrilled with what he's brought to the team this season.