Tyler Baron's NFL comparison provides the blueprint for a successful Jets career

The New York Jets used their final selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to bolster their defensive line depth, selecting Miami edge rusher Tyler Baron in the fifth round. While Baron isn't expected to start right away, his NFL comparison might offer a realistic and encouraging glimpse into his potential future.

Bleacher Report's Matt Holder compared Baron to veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot in his pre-draft scouting report. Smoot is a longtime rotational piece for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who has carved out a strong nine-year career despite never becoming a household name.

That’s not a flashy comp, but it’s the kind of outcome any team would sign up for with a Day 3 pick. If Baron can become even close to what Smoot has been in the NFL, the Jets would have found legitimate value late in the draft.

And with the Jets' edge rusher room looking thinner than recent years, the opportunity for Baron to carve out a role might come sooner than expected.

This is the seventh and final installment in our ongoing series comparing each Jets draft pick to their projected NFL counterpart. Links to the previous five articles can be found at the bottom of this story.

Dawuane Smoot is Tyler Baron's NFL comparison

A physically gifted edge rusher at 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, Baron flashed promise as a pass rusher in college but lacked consistency. He played both on the edge and as a sub-package interior rusher, showing flashes but never quite putting it all together.

Baron brings NFL-caliber size, effort, and versatility to the table, although he pairs that with average play strength and a limited pass-rush arsenal. Still, the Jets saw enough to take a swing in the fifth round.

That projection could align with the NFL career of Dawuane Smoot. Smoot, a third-round pick in 2017, never became a household name, but he developed into a rock-solid rotational defensive end.

He recorded at least five sacks in four straight seasons from 2019-2022, including a standout 50-pressure campaign in 2021. Injuries, including a torn Achilles, slowed him down in recent years, but he remains a productive veteran entering his ninth NFL season.

The similarities aren’t just in play style. Both players project best as rotational disruptors, capable of lining up in multiple spots and generating pressure without being full-time starters.

Smoot carved out his role thanks to his motor and versatility, traits Baron will need to lean on to stick in the NFL. They even measure similarly, with Smoot at 6-foot-3, 264 pounds, and Baron at 6-foot-5, 258.

That kind of career would be a massive win for the Jets. With Jermaine Johnson returning from an Achilles injury and Will McDonald coming off a 10.5-sack breakout season but still developing as a run defender, the starting jobs are spoken for.

But behind them, the team's depth is uncertain. Michael Clemons is the presumed top backup, though he’s been inconsistent and has understandably fallen out of favor with much of the fan base.

Baron will battle Clemons, free-agent addition Rashad Weaver, and 2024 UDFAs like Braiden McGregor and Eric Watts for snaps in a thin and unsettled defensive end rotation.

If Baron can prove himself as a reliable rotational piece, especially one who can pressure opposing quarterbacks, he’ll have a path to real playing time. And if he can follow the Dawuane Smoot blueprint, the Jets may have quietly landed a valuable long-term contributor on Day 3.

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