NY Jets sign All-UFL standout to largest contract in league history

The NY Jets are searching for any and all ways to upgrade their offensive line depth this offseason, and their latest addition of former UFL guard Kohl Levao is evidence of that.

The Jets worked hard to revamp their offensive line this offseason, adding a trio of new starters in Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, and John Simpson before using their first-round pick on Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.

The hope is that these additions will provide a massive boost to an offensive line unit that was among the worst (and most injured) in the NFL last season. They're not done searching for answers, however.

Levao reportedly garnered interest from multiple NFL teams with several wanting to bring him in for a workout. In the end, he signed a three-year, $2.8 million deal with the Jets this week — the largest contract given to any former UFL player this year.

This is the first contract Levao has signed with an NFL team, so it follows a similar structure to most undrafted deals. Three years is the standard length for an undrafted free agent contract.

What should the NY Jets expect from Kohl Levao?

A native of American Samoa, Levao spent four seasons at the University of Hawaii after a pair of seasons at the City College of San Francisco in California. He's an experienced offensive lineman who has primarily played guard and center in his football career.

Levao has spent the last two years playing for the San Antonio Brahmas, first in the XFL in 2023 and later in the UFL this past season. The 26-year-old has started 20 games over the last two years at left guard for the Brahmas, establishing himself as one of the best interior offensive linemen in spring football.

Levao didn't allow a single sack on over 800 pass-block snaps over the last two seasons with the Brahmas. The Washington native also didn't allow a QB hit in 2024, posting consecutive Pro Football Focus pass-block grades of 77.3 and 74.2 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

That's why it wasn't a surprise to see him named to the 2024 All-UFL team earlier this month. Now, he'll have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot on an NFL team.

Levao should have a real opportunity to earn a role in a pretty thin Jets interior offensive line room. Veteran Wes Schweitzer is the only backup interior offensive lineman guaranteed a roster spot entering the summer.

Levao will compete with the likes of Jake Hanson, Xavier Newman, and tackle/guard Max Mitchell for one of the final spots on the offensive line. If he impresses this summer, there's a good chance he sticks around.

The Jets are continuing their quest to fix the offensive line this offseason, and that quest has evidently taken them to the UFL.