The Jets defense has plenty of stars who were drafted in the first round or came to New York on big-money contracts.
But the defense is not just about those players with high pedigree. Quincy Williams, who was claimed off waivers, and Bryce Huff, an undrafted free-agent signing, arguably have been the Jets’ best players this season.
This is a tribute to what the defensive staff has done developing talent.
Often, we think of it in simplistic terms: A player gets drafted, and if he does not play well, he was a bad pick. If he plays well, he’s a good pick. But we overlook the role of development by coaches. Their job is not just about scheming and game-planning but making players better.
This defense, that is carrying the 2023 Jets, is proof that not all stars are found in the first round.
Williams was just named AFC Defensive Player of the Month and is rated as the No. 5 linebacker out of 80 graded by Pro Football Focus. The Jets grabbed him on cutdown weekend in 2021 after new Jaguars coach Urban Meyer cut him.
Huff has been one of the best edge rushers in the sport this season. He is sixth in the NFL in pass rush win percentage among those with at least 100 pass rush snaps, according to PFF. His first step is deadly, and he is in line for a major contract as a free agent this offseason.
Huff went undrafted out of Memphis in 2020, and after the Jets signed him, he has blossomed under coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in their three years with him.
John Franklin-Myers was another waiver claim, after the Rams dumped him in 2020. He has started every game since Saleh arrived in 2021 and is consistently one of the team’s best players each week.
Tony Adams went undrafted out of Illinois in 2022. In college, he played cornerback, nickel and safety. The Jets signed him, made him just a safety, and he became a starter this season.
Michael Carter II is a fifth-round pick who has become one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL.
Saleh and his staff do not get caught up in draft status or how much money someone is making.
“Our philosophy is the difference between Player A and Player Z is miniscule,” Saleh said. “It’s about opportunity and reps.”
Saleh deserves credit for the staff he built on the defensive side. He made some mistakes with his first offensive staff and made changes after last season. But he has a staff on defense that has shined.
It starts with Ulbrich, the former linebacker who relates to players and is a great communicator. Position coaches Marquand Manuel (safeties), Tony Oden (cornerbacks), Mike Rutenberg (linebackers) and Aaron Whitecotton (defensive line) get the most of their players, and have built a deep unit on defense.
Three weeks ago, when the Jets faced the high-powered Eagles without starting cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, Ulbrich and Oden put together a plan with a lot of moving pieces and players even the most diehard fan had not heard of, and it helped the Jets pull off the upset.
“It’s a really good staff that works really well together,” Saleh said. “All egos are checked at the door and we can all challenge each other.”
The beauty of Saleh’s defense is its simplicity: They don’t throw 50 different blitz packages at teams. They have blitzed the second-fewest times of any team in the NFL. It helps them develop players quicker in their system. Their goal is to not have players overthinking.
“That’s the philosophy of our defense,” Saleh said. “God blessed you with an ability. The kryptonite of your ability is thinking. The kryptonite to that is coaching. Let them play without thought. Here’s five or six things that you’re going to be asked to do, and you’re going to do them to the best of your ability and you’re going to be better than anyone in the world at doing them.”
The philosophy is working. The defense is a blend of top-10 picks and guys plucked off the scrap heap. In other words, Saleh and his staff are getting the best out of Player A to Player Z this season.