Analyst doesn't think NY Jets should pick up Quinnen Williams' 5th-year option

The NY Jets will have a decision to make regarding the future of Quinnen Williams this offseason. On the surface, it seems to be a fairly straightforward one.

Williams will be entering his fourth NFL season in 2022 meaning that the Jets have to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option. Given how well he's played, it seems like a no-brainer that the Jets would look to keep him around past this upcoming season.

However, that isn't the opinion shared by Marc Ross of NFL.com. Ross broke down the futures of all 32 first-round picks in 2019 and decided that the Jets should not exercise Williams' fifth-year option.

Forget extension talk, Ross doesn't even believe he's worthy of the fifth year of his rookie contract. He explained his stance by stating the following.

"[Quinnen] Williams has been solid, flashing at times with 15.5 sacks over his first three seasons. However, the reality is that he hasn't provided the impact nor lived up to the billing of a player taken No. 3 overall, and Williams knows it. If he'd been taken later on, I would feel a little bit better about what he's provided and maybe would pick up his option."

Marc Ross

The NY Jets should obviously keep Quinnen Williams around long-term

Has Quinnen Williams lived up to the hype of a No. 3 overall pick? That's a conversation that's been had ad nauseam, but generally the consensus is that he's fallen a bit short. Still, that isn't really what matters here.

Williams isn't great, or at least he wasn't great this past season. But he still was a very, very good player and remains one of the better players at his position in the NFL. At the age of just 24, that's someone you look to keep around.

Williams has recorded 13 sacks over his last 28 games (nearly 0.5 sacks per game) which ranks as one of the highest figures of any defensive tackle in the NFL.

Michael Nania of Jets X Factor charted what he called "impact plays," or essentially a player's combined pressures and run stops — a good indication of how effective a player is as both a pass rusher and run stopper.

Williams' 8.2 snaps per impact play in 2020 trailed only Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams (7.7). He took a slight step back in 2021, but still finished top-15 in most statistics.

It's hard to argue that Quinnen Williams isn't a top-12 to 15 defensive tackle in football, with flashes of top-five production. Seeing as he just turned 24-years-old two months ago, this really isn't a conversation worth having.

Williams' fifth-year option is projected to be worth around $10.28 million (per Over the Cap) which would rank as the 16th-highest cap hit among all defensive tackles in 2022.

It's pretty much impossible to argue that Williams doesn't deserve that. There really isn't any metric that would indicate he's not a top-15 defensive tackle in football, and considering his age and expected market value, it's an absolute no-brainer.

Despite what Ross might suggest, don't expect the Jets to hesitate when it comes to picking up Quinnen Williams' fifth-year option. A long-term extension comes next.