The New York Jets have made the line of scrimmage of focal point of their offseason efforts as of late. Both the offensive and defensive lines have been built up under the watch of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.
In 2022, the Jets have used both free agency and the NFL draft to do so.
Guard Laken Tomlinson was the splash signing of New York’s spring. The team followed that up with taking pass rusher Jermaine Johnson in Round 1 of the recent draft.
Pro Football Focus predicts the efforts this spring and over the last few years will pay off next season.
In making bold predictions for the Jets ahead of the 2022 season, the football analytics outlet thinks New York’s defense will be a top-10 sack unit…and the O-line will be ranked in their top-five.
Here’s how PFF broke down both sides of the ball:
Jets will rank top 10 in sacks on defense
The Jets have attacked their biggest areas of weakness with impressive resolve this offseason, and their pass rush will get the added benefit of Carl Lawson returning from injury. Lawson was a big free agent addition a year ago but missed all last season with a ruptured Achilles. He may not be 100% in his first year back, but he can certainly team up with John Franklin-Myers (80.3 PFF grade last year) and rookie Jermaine Johnson to bring some heat. Quinnen Williams didn’t have a good year in his first season in Robert Saleh’s defense but is still made to generate pressure up the middle. The pass rush will also benefit from an overhauled secondary, buying the unit more time to get to the quarterback.
The team will have a top-five offensive line
The Jets have rebuilt their offensive line very well in recent years, finishing last season ranked 11th in PFF’s offensive line rankings. For 2022, they added Laken Tomlinson in free agency (No. 11 guard in PFF’s rankings last season) and will be hoping to get the return of a healthy Mekhi Becton. 2021 rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker also flashed huge potential and should improve in his second season. The Jets should expect this group to be a top-10 offensive line, but there’s a good chance it does far better than that and ranks inside the top five.
