Jets 2026 Position Breakdown: Will The Offensive Line Reach The Next Level?

Entering 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 analyze the offensive line...

Projected depth chart

Starters: Olu Fashanu (LT), Dylan Parham (LG), Josh Myers (C), Joe Tippmann (RG), Armand Membou (RT)
Backups: Max Mitchell, Anez Cooper, Xavier Newman, Landon Young
Key additions/losses: John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker departed in free agency. Young and Parham were signed as free agents, and Cooper was drafted in the sixth round in April
Top performers in 2025: Fashanu started all 17 games and allowed six sacks with just three penalties
2025 ranking per PFF: As a team, the Jets ranked 15th for pass blocking and 21st for run blocking

What Jets' offensive linemen have going for them

The offensive line was easily the Jets’ most consistent unit in 2025, and four of the five starters are returning for 2026, so they should have good chemistry and cohesion.

Two former first-round tackles -- Fashanu and Membou -- have already established themselves as bookends who can be cornerstones for the next several years. Tippmann, who can play guard or center, was rewarded with a long-term extension during the offseason and Myers impressed enough at center in his first year with the team to earn a two-year extension in December.

Parham was signed during free agency and is projected to be the fifth starter with most of last year’s main reserves still on the team.

Key concern for 2026: Health regression

The Jets had to shuffle the pack when Vera-Tucker went down with another season-ending injury at the end of the preseason, but once the season began, they enjoyed a rare stretch of good health on the line. All five starters were able to start every game and each of them played over 1,000 offensive snaps. In fact, Simpson – the lone starter who isn’t returning – only missed 32 snaps and the other four starters missed just 10 between them.

Having enjoyed such stability last year, the concern would be that this injury luck will regress to the mean in 2026 and that, inevitably, New York will need to move some pieces around and rely on backups at some point.

The Jets will hope that they have a durable group of individuals, and handled the group the right way last year, and that this is the reason they enjoyed an uninterrupted stretch of play. If they can keep everyone healthy again, the unit could remain a strength and build on their already-established chemistry as a group.

Player who must step up in 2026: Dylan Parham

In an ideal world, Parham will be at least as good as Simpson was last season, despite the fact he spent 2025 on a Raiders team that struggled to protect Geno Smith.

That unit was one of the worst in the league as Smith ended up as the most-sacked QB in the NFL. However, Parham was far from the main culprit and will be expected to fare much better as he slots into a solid starting group with the Jets.

The 26-year old former third-round pick is versatile and experienced, with 63 NFL starts to his name, so the Jets will not expect him to be a weak link for them. In the longer-term, it's possible Cooper can be a starter in a year or two anyway, so Parham will need to maintain his standards.

Biggest Camp Battle: Landon Young vs. Max Mitchell vs. Chukwuma Okorafor

Last year’s backups on the offensive line were barely needed, but the Jets cannot afford to rely on no one getting hurt again and must therefore ensure that their bench is strong.  The battle for the swing tackle role should not be overlooked.

When Okorafor was signed last season, many analysts believed he had a chance to start, but then the Jets drafted Membou and this was expected to move him into the swing role. However, he ended up playing zero snaps as the Jets seemed more comfortable with Mitchell in that role. Mitchell also saw plenty of action in jumbo packages.

Young was added during the offseason and could also factor into the battle to be the first tackle off the bench. He has excellent versatility and 12 career starts.

Overall 2026 outlook

The Jets’ offensive line projects to be one of the better ones in the league this year, provided they can remain healthy again. Membou and Fashanu could be considered for Pro Bowl recognition within the next year or two, and the three projected interior starters are all entering their prime.

Their depth could be tested if there are injuries. However, if that arises, it should be easier to plug a replacement into a well-functioning line than it would otherwise be if this was a group that was still trying to jell as a unit.

If all goes well, this group should provide the foundation for the Jets’ offense to be much better than in recent seasons. In addition, all five starters are also under contract for 2027, so hopefully the chemistry with this group can continue to build.