Top 10 New York Jets Players Going Into the 2025-26 Season
The Jets are finally cleaning the slate and starting fresh. The Aaron Rodgers era Jets were a complete and total disaster. They fired Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas (mainly because of Aaron Rodgers). The Jets as a whole were very disappointing after everyone was hoping they'd have a bounce-back year.They got former Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn as their Head Coach and a new quarterback in Justin Fields. I like the direction they are trying to go. I just think it's going to take time.
I think overall this team is still very mediocre at best and not a likely playoff team in 2025-26. Maybe they surprise people this year, but honestly I'm doubtful they will.
Sauce may very well be the best cornerback in the league. He has elite coverage abilities and is a true shutdown cornerback. He is absolutely the best player on the Jets right now. He hit the ground running and immediately made an impact, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, also making 2 Pro Bowls and 2 First Team All-Pros in his first 3 seasons.
While his 2024 season was a step down production wise, he still had a solid season. It was just bad by his standards. To be fair, the entire Jets defense had a disappointing season in 2024. Sauce's one major flaw is that his tackling skills are less than stellar, but otherwise he remains a top 3 cornerback in the league easily and should have a bounce back season in 2025.
Quinnen Williams continues to be one of the best defensive players the Jets have right now. He's already made 3 straight Pro Bowls and was First Team All-Pro in 2022.
His last two seasons haven't quite been the same as his 2022 season, but there's no denying that he's still arguably an elite defensive tackle. Some would say he's top 3 in the league. He's a disruptive, dominant force to be reckoned with at his best.
He's not only consistent, but he also elevates everyone else around him and makes the whole defense better. I expect a bounce back season performance wise. Not that he had a bad season, but the Jets defense as a whole was pretty disappointing in 2024.
Garrett Wilson is a very good wide receiver and by far the best offensive player the Jets have. He's good at getting separation from defenders, can make impressive catches, and has the ability to gain significant yards after the catch.
He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and has continued to be the primary target for the Jets' offense. He finished with 1,104 yards and 7 touchdowns receiving. He is easily the most productive and consistent receiver, finishing top 15 in the league for receiving yards. His 78.9 grade by PFF in 2024 ranks 22nd overall for all wide receivers in the league.
On top of that, he reunites with a Buckeye teammate, Justin Fields.
Breece Hall is a solid running back. Some may even say he's elite. Hall has the ability to make explosive plays and be a dynamic receiving threat as well. He's shown he can be a true workhorse running back.
His 2024 was slightly worse than his 2023 season. He finished with 876 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also had 483 yards and 3 touchdowns receiving. To be fair, the entire offense struggled last season, but Hall should bounce back in 2025.
He's still relatively young. As long as he stays healthy, he should be the most dynamic, productive, and consistent running back the Jets have by far.
Will McDonald has shown significant improvement in year 2 compared to his first year. 10.5 sacks tied for 12th most in the league, along with 28 tackles, 24 quarterback hits, and 11 tackles for loss.
McDonald is still young and still has plenty of room to improve and develop. He's a strong pass rusher and has a high pressure rate. He's been an effective and consistent pass rusher and should continue to be a key contributor.
Olu Fashanu is generally considered decent so far. He's still young, so there is plenty of time to improve and develop his skill set further. He has impressive size and athleticism. He's decent at both pass blocking and run blocking.
Fashanu was one of the few bright spots on the Jets roster in the second half of the season last year. He looked good when he was healthy. He has the potential to be the anchor at the most important position on the offensive line for a decade at least.
Alijah Vera-Tucker is a solid overall guard for the Jets. He's especially good at run blocking, opening up lanes for Breece Hall to take advantage. 2024 was arguably his best season of his career. He got a 77.7 overall grade, ranking 15th overall among NFL guards.
I feel like he'd be a lot higher on this list if it weren't for the injuries. Vera-Tucker has had multiple significant injuries, costing him nearly 2 whole seasons. His pass protection abilities also have room for improvement. A handful of analysts consider him to be underrated.
The Jets did pick up his 5th year option. Alijah could be a lot higher if he can stay healthy this season.
Jermaine unfortunately missed most of the 2024 season due to injury, but he should absolutely bounce back in 2025. His 2023 season was pretty impressive overall and a huge step forward in his development. Johnson did make a Pro Bowl in 2023.
He has decent pass rushing abilities and can be a dominant force for the defense. The Jets picked up his 5th year option, so he should continue to be around for the short term future at least.
The Jets' first round draft pick from this past 2025 draft. Membou is pretty much a plug and play, immediately on day one type of player. He has elite athleticism and great run blocking skills.
He immediately improves the Jets' offensive line. Getting Justin Fields some protection is paramount for him to be successful. Membou should fit in nicely.
Justin Fields is in an interesting spot, honestly. I still think he has some potential upside. I'm curious how he'll do in a starting role again for the first time in a while. He's a true dual-threat quarterback and has veteran experience.
There's an argument that he never got a fair shot with the Bears. He was largely considered just okay at best. Fields is still inconsistent and has a history of turnovers, but maybe a change of scenery is exactly what the doctor ordered. Look at Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold as examples.
The Jets have a whole different coaching staff now. Assuming the Jets can cater to him, build an offensive line, and give him weapons, he could bring some stability to a team that has lacked a stable quarterback for years. I believe that Fields is ultimately a top 32 quarterback in the league, and under the right system, he can have a breakout year.