A big job for the Jets’ brass this offseason is fixing a defense that had issues of biblical proportions last season.
While this herculean task is in its early stages, they have already made two moves to address two significant areas of need.
On February 26, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the Jets traded defensive end Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
And today, Schefter announced the Jets traded a 2026 seventh-round pick to Miami for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Two big issues for the Jets last season were a leaky run defense up the middle and not enough plays from the safety position.
On paper, these two moves should help fix these areas of need.
The 6-4, 366-pound Sweat should help a problematic interior Jets run defense, and Fitzpatrick is the kind of ballhawking safety the Jets so desperately need. In 2022, he had six picks and 11 PDs for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Not putting either player in Canton. They both have things to work on.
Sweat needs to get into better shape, and Fitzpatrick needs to improve the consistency of his tackling.
However, they are upgrades for the Jets at their respective positions.
So two pieces down, and several more to go, in the massive reconstruction of the Jets’ defense.
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