Jets 2026 Position Breakdown: Can The Interior D-line Still Be A Strength With Quinnen Williams Gone?

Heading into the 2026 season, the Jets have made a series of moves to improve the state of their roster and overall depth, but are they ready to compete for a playoff spot?

In this series, we’ll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we’ll go in depth at the interior defensive line position…

Projected depth chart

Starters: T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips 

Backups: Jowon Briggs, David Onyemata, Darrell Jackson Jr. 

Key additions/losses: Onyemata was signed in in free agency, Jackson was drafted in the fourth round and Sweat was acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans, while Jay Tufele and Khalen Saunders were not re-signed. 

Top Performers in 2025: Phillips started all 17 games and racked up 60 tackles with five tackles for loss. 2025 ranking per PFF: Briggs was ranked 18th in the NFL out of 147 qualifiers. Sweat was fifth.

What Jets DT's have going for them

Over the past several years, the Jets had been over-relying on Quinnen Williams to anchor their defensive interior, opting not to invest much in high picks or free agency resources on his interior linemates. Unfortunately, this plan just seemed to limit Williams’ effectiveness in 2025, and New York ultimately opted to trade him to Dallas at the deadline.

The unit has now been completely rebuilt; a process that began before Williams’ departure when the Jets traded for Phillips and Briggs last August. Adding a young impact player in the former second-round pick Sweat, and an experienced veteran in Onyemata gives the Jets a much deeper and more balanced group.

The Jets are now considerably bigger on the defensive interior, with the 366-pound Sweat capable of functioning as a prototypical nose tackle if the Jets operate out of a 3-4 base more often than they did last season as expected.

Key concern for 2026: Pass rush production

This re-tooled unit projects to be stronger against the run, even with Williams gone, but perhaps loses something in terms of disruptiveness in the pass rush. Phillips, Sweat and Onyemata should all get plenty of playing time, but the trio combined for just 3.5 sacks between them last season.

This is where Briggs could be important. He was one of the main bright spots last season after being acquired from the Browns, immediately finding a regular spot in the rotation. He eventually started eight games and was second on the team with four sacks. It could be that Briggs plays most of his reps in passing situations next year while the three veterans handle the base rotation on first and second down, but the Jets will hope Briggs has a long-term future in a full-time role.

Player who must step up in 2026: Sweat

Sweat was a player who was regarded as a top talent by many experts two years ago, but he fell out of the first round, primarily due to concerns over his work ethic and attitude. He’s been a full-time starter in his first two seasons and, although he only has three sacks in two years, he has done an excellent job against the run and has been an effective pocket-collapser on passing downs.

He is still only 24 and his former teammate Jeffery Simmons recently said that Sweat has the talent to be the NFL’s best nose tackle. With two years left on his rookie deal, he should be motivated to try and prove that assertion to be feasible.

Biggest Camp Battle: Jackson vs. Payton Page vs. Mazi Smith

While the Jets have what looks like a strong four-man rotation, the competition to be the next man up could be fierce.

Jackson was drafted in the fourth round in April, and if he can develop into a contributor, that could make Phillips and Onyemata expendable next season. His combination of size, length and athleticism make Jackson the sort of player who could thrive under the tutelage of the re-hired defensive line coach Karl Dunbar.

Page is, somewhat remarkably, the only remaining interior lineman who was on the roster at the start of training camp last season. He had an impressive training camp as an undrafted rookie and spent most of the year on the practice squad before seeing rotational action in four games down the stretch.

Hopes were high that Smith could be a shrewd pickup when the Cowboys included the 2023 first round pick in the Williams trade. He had failed to live up to his draft spot despite starting every game in the 2024 season, but the Jets hoped he might benefit from a change of scenery with them. He failed to make an impression, though, and was inactive behind Page by the end of the year.

The only other interior lineman on the roster is 28-year old journeyman Jack Heflin.

Overall 2026 outlook

Even with Williams gone, the defensive interior looks like it could be a strength for the Jets, on paper at least. These players haven’t really played together yet, but if they can develop some chemistry as a unit that might give them a healthier situation than relying on one stud to carry the group.

Onyemata and Phillips are two solid veterans, but there is also plenty of youth and upside in the rest of this group. New York should have confidence not only that this group will play well in 2026, but also that they could be positioned to anchor the Jets’ defense for the next few seasons as well.