NY Jets eyeing underrated DL prospect who had 'great' meeting with coaching staff

The New York Jets attempted to bolster their defensive line in free agency this offseason, signing a trio of veterans to one-year deals. It's likely the team will still look to address the position in the 2025 NFL Draft, however.

This year’s draft class is stacked with defensive line talent, which is great news for teams like the Jets that need reinforcements. The Jets are doing their due diligence on many of the top defensive linemen in this class.

One player who has seemingly caught the Jets' attention is SMU's Elijah Roberts. The former Miami standout is widely projected as a Day 2 or Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has already been in contact with the team.

Roberts made an appearance on FanSided's Stacking the Box podcast this week, speaking with Justin Fried of The Jet Press. During the interview, Roberts revealed that he had a "great" meeting with Jets defensive line coach Eric Washington during the draft process.

"The Jets have been great. I really liked meeting with the new DL coach, he was great. They also went to my school two days ago. My coach called me about it and told me he had a great conversation with the Jets. He really liked the plan they had set out for me if I were to go there. "

Elijah Roberts

NY Jets eyeing Elijah Roberts in deep DL draft class

A former four-star recruit, Roberts originally committed to Miami and drew interest from schools like Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, and other major programs. After three years of limited playing time, Roberts made the decision to transfer to SMU.

It proved to be the right choice. Roberts recorded 10 sacks in his first year with the Mustangs, earning second-team All-AAC honors in the process. He followed that up with another productive season in 2024, racking up 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

At 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Roberts is a powerful, versatile prospect who lined up all over SMU's defensive line. He was primarily used as a traditional 4-3 defensive end but has also been asked to play inside as more of a 3-tech interior rusher.

Roberts projects best as a tweener-style defensive lineman in a 4-3 scheme, capable of playing both inside and out. He’d likely be asked to fill a role similar to what the Jets have assigned John Franklin-Myers and Micheal Clemons in recent years.

The Jets signed Derrick Nnadi, Byron Cowart, and Jay Tufele in free agency, but the team could still use additional depth, especially at defensive end. Roberts seems to be someone they're keeping a close eye on.

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