NY Jets' George Fant is one of the best pass-blocking LTs in the NFL

Justin Fried

NY Jets, George Fant / Sarah Stier/GettyImages

The NY Jets have seen the emergence of offensive tackle George Fant in 2021. Fant has taken his game from that of an underwhelming starter to one of the best pass-blocking left tackles in the NFL.

That isn't an exaggeration either. It's indicative of the extraordinary season that Fant is having.

When Mekhi Becton went down in Week 1, many feared that the Jets would struggle to replace a player who was arguably their best offensive lineman in 2020. But Fant has started in place of the injured Becton and exceeded all expectations.

Through 16 weeks, Fant has legitimately been one of the best pass protectors in football. You could even argue he's been one of the best overall players on the Jets. He's been that good.

George Fant has shined for the NY Jets in 2021

In 14 starts this season, Fant has been credited with allowing just 18 pressures. He's allowed more than three pressures in a game just once and has been tagged with surrendering just one sack all season.

Those 18 pressures are the fewest allowed by any left tackle to play at least 550 pass-block snaps. Among qualified left tackles, Fant ranks third in pressure rate behind just Tyron Smith and Andrew Whitworth, ahead of arguably the best offensive lineman in football, Trent Williams.

Fant has been one of the best pass-blockers in the NFL this season by virtually every metric. And his season not only ranks up there with the best in the NFL in 2021, but among the best in Jets history.

Since Pro Football Focus began tracking pressures in 2006, only two Jets offensive tackles have put together similarly efficient pass-blocking seasons, both of which occurred in 2008.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson's 3.81% pressure rate is the best by any left tackle in Jets history while right tackle Damien Woody allowed a 3.17% rate, which is the best by any Jets offensive tackle in the PFF era.

Fant's current 3.10% pressure rate is on pace to be the best pass-blocking season by an offensive tackle in Jets history (at least in the PFF era). It cannot be understated how effective he's been in 2021.

The Jets will have an interesting decision to make at offensive tackle with Becton returning next season. But for now, let's just appreciate the greatness that has been Fant in 2021.

George Fant is having an All-Pro-caliber season. It's time everyone begins to recognize that.

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.