NY Jets: Bryce Huff continues to improve his stock this summer

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Bryce Huff / Rich Schultz/Getty Images

The NY Jets added a number of new faces to their defense in the offseason. But one returning player who shouldn't be slept on is defensive end Bryce Huff.

Huff was the only undrafted rookie to make the Jets roster last season and he quickly worked his way into the front-seven rotation.

Now, going into the 2021 season, he's once again competing for a role in the defensive line rotation and he's making a strong case for why he deserves increased playing time this season.

Huff has been one of the more low-key standouts from Jets training camp. But make no mistake about it, the Jets coaching staff is very high on the former Memphis star.

Bryce Huff has impressed the NY Jets coaching staff this summer.

Huff was a favorite of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who admired him for his tenacity, work ethic, and unrelenting energy. Those same traits have helped him endear himself to Robert Saleh and company.

Transitioning to more of a defensive end role in the Jets' new defensive scheme, Huff has found himself splitting time between the first and second-team defense in practice.

And when John Franklin-Myers left Thursday's practice early with an injury, it was Huff who immediately filled his role. He wasted little time making the most of his snaps too, recording a would-be sack soon after taking the field.

It was one of many impact plays Huff has made this summer. During Tuesday's practice, Huff beat right tackle Morgan Moses for a sack working with the first-team defense.

As Connor Hughes of The Athletic put it, the Jets coaching staff "likes him a lot as a rusher opposite [Carl] Lawson."

The Jets defensive line is the deepest it's been in a long time with the likes of Carl Lawson, Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers, Sheldon Rankins, and Folorunso Fatukasi headlining a stacked group.

Huff is one of the many rotation players competing for depth roles behind the penciled-in starters. Expect Saleh to rotate his defensive linemen frequently just as he did in San Francisco, and Huff is playing himself into a sizable role.

The 23-year-old played 26 percent of defensive snaps as a rookie, appearing in all 16 games. He could, however, be in line for an increase in playing time in 2021.

Bryce Huff has made a strong first impression on the new coaching staff. Don't be surprised if he's featured quite a bit this season.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.