5 UDFAs with the best chance to make the NY Jets roster

2. Leonard Taylor III, DT, NY Jets

Leonard Taylor III might be the most highly-touted undrafted free agent to sign with any team this year. A former five-star recruit, Taylor was seen as a possible first-round pick as recently as this winter before his stock plummeted.

Despite his impressive physical traits and obvious upside, Taylor never quite lived up to expectations at Miami. He finished his college career with just six sacks in 31 games over three years.

There were some questions about his motor and his inconsistent tape certainly presented a red flag, but most still expected Taylor would be an early Day 3 pick at worst in this year's draft. No one expected him to go undrafted.

Taylor joins the Jets with much more hype than your typical undrafted player, and while he faces an uphill battle to crack a deep defensive tackle room, his upside is worth taking a chance on.

1. Eric Watts, DL, NY Jets

Despite Taylor's pedigree, there's one player who might have an even better chance to stick around on the Jets' roster, and that's former Connecticut standout Eric Watts.

At 6-foot-5, 274 pounds, Watts was a core part of Connecticut's defense over the last three seasons, racking up nine sacks between 2022 and 2023. Much like Taylor, Watts is just scratching the surface of his potential.

The South Carolina native was seen as an expected Day 3 draft pick with the upside to be a potential long-term starter in the NFL. His age (he turns 24 in October) and lackluster college production likely contributed to his slide.

That said, Watts has the potential to slot into John Franklin-Myers' role as a tweener defensive lineman with interior versatility. That should make him very valuable to a Jets team that lacks many direct replacements for their now-former standout defensive lineman.