Kingsley Enagbare's wild rise up Jets depth chart complete after strong preseason

The New York Jets may have gone into the 2026 season expecting Will McDonald to be a starting edge rusher next to No. 2 overall pick David Bailey, but free agent signing Kingsley Enagbare has been so good in that area that he has all but forced the Jets to make some changes.

Enagbare, who was previously listed with the first team on the initial depth chart and has had some sequences in which he has recorded would-be sacks on back-to-back plays in practice, was listed as one of the 10 best players on the Jets roster by Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.

Rosenblatt mentioned that Enagbare is "clearly ahead" of Will McDonald in the edge rusher pecking order. With Joseph Ossai struggling with a foot injury that could threaten his availability for the beginning of the season, Enagbare may go from a one-year depth flier to a key starter in this revamped unit. His performance has certainly warranted such a promotion.

Kingsley Enagbare 'clearly ahead' of Will McDonald on New York Jets depth chart

Enagbare recorded 11.5 sacks in four seasons with the Packers, proving to be more valuable than a run-of-the-mill fifth-round pick. However, Green Bay seemingly believed that Enagbare hit his ceiling as a pass rusher, as they chose not to bring him back despite some issues with their Micah Parsons-less defensive line.

Enagbare was brought in to be an edge-setter who can play the run better than the laughably bad McDonald or inexperienced Bailey on the outside, but the early showings seem to indicate that he has shown more juice off the edge as a rusher. That does not bode well for McDonald, who is losing snaps despite recording 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons.

The New York Jets may play Kingsley Enagbare over Will McDonald

There is a very good chance that McDonald will begin the season as the No. 4 edge rusher on the depth chart. Rather than try to improve his run defense, Glenn and the rest of the coaches are seemingly conceding that he will never make strides in this area and will always be a liability on early downs.

Enagbare isn't Reggie White, but he can hold his own in both the running and passing games. When paired with a revamped defensive line that features T'Vondre Sweat and David Onyemata alongside Harrison Phillips, the Jets are trying to become impossible to run on.

The Jets are long overdue for a one-year veteran stopgap to outplay their contract and potentially wiggle their way into a long-term home with the team. Enagbare appears to be well on his way after a very strong start to the 2026 season, even if it came at the expense of McDonald.

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