NY Jets defy expectations with 3 undrafted DL rookies on 53-man roster

Cutdown day has come and gone as all 32 NFL rosters have been trimmed from 90 to 53 ahead of the regular season. For the NY Jets, a roster full of rising stars and veteran talent saw many underdogs land on the initial roster.

Three of those underrated pieces came in the form of UDFAs who will now look to play a role up front on the Jets' defense. Of the five undrafted defensive linemen to make 53-man rosters this summer, three of them are members of the Jets.

Let's take a closer look at the three UDFAs that join an already talented defensive line room.

Braiden McGregor, DE, NY Jets

Braiden McGregor is one of two UDFA edge rushers on the Jets' 2024 roster. McGregor is not only quickly becoming a fan favorite but is also quickly becoming a huge steal for Gang Green. Heading into April, the Michigan standout was projected to go in Rounds 5-7 but instead fell out of the draft entirely.

After spending three seasons at Michigan, the 23-year-old has shined for the Jets this summer. In three preseason games, McGregor tallied an 82.5 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade, two sacks, eight pressures, and a 22.4% pass rush win rate on 49 pass rush snaps.

With questions still looming on Haason Reddick's status, McGregor and others will have a chance to play an important role early in the season.

Leonard Taylor III, DT, NY Jets

While Braiden McGregor is becoming a huge steal for the Jets, Leonard Taylor III might even be a bigger steal for New York. Taylor was a five-star recruit and early on in his college career spent at Miami was expected to be either a first-round pick or an early Day 2 selection. Now, the Jets get him on the roster as a UDFA.

In three preseason games, Taylor led the NFL with four sacks and finished fourth in pressures with eight. However, the 22-year-old really proved his wealth on Saturday night against the Giants where he tallied five pressures and three sacks.

Jets fans should be fired up for Taylor, as this is a prospect that should have been at least selected on Day 3. Instead, he falls into the lap of Gang Green as a UDFA and has a chance to turn into another under-the-radar gem on the defensive side of the football for GM Joe Douglas.

Eric Watts, DE, NY Jets

Eric Watts is the second of two UDFA edge rushers to make the 53-man roster. Watts spent his entire collegiate career at Connecticut. In 47 games played across four seasons. Watts finished with 151 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 23 tackles for loss.

While this wasn't enough for Watts to get a call on draft night, the Jets saw something in him as a UDFA, and the 23-year-old made the most of it. Watts impressed during camp practices and broke out in the team's last preseason game on Saturday night. The rookie tallied three pressures and a sack in a game that saw the defensive line dominate.

Watts entered camp with an uphill battle to make the roster with an already loaded room up front. However, that didn't stop the Connecticut standout from making his mark and now he will have a chance to produce in games that count.

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