Two Jets defenders featured in ESPN's ranking of top linebackers

Despite a team-wide regression in 2024, the strength of the New York Jets continues to be its vaunted defense. Quinnen Williams has already been ranked as the fifth best defensive tackle in the league, and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner will almost certainly check in near the top once cornerback rankings are released. From front to back, this unit is loaded with talent and now the often-overlooked linebacker corps is receiving due credit.

ESPN has been anonymously polling NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to find the Top 10 players in each position group and on Tuesday morning they released the results for linebackers. Jets fans will be excited to know that not one but two Jets made the cut: Quincy Williams, brother of Quinnen, at No. 10 and Jamien Sherwood as an Honorable Mention.

Williams received high praise from an NFL defensive coach who said, “Zero to 100 closing speed sideline to sideline. Will strike you. Dog.” That’s always been the strength of Williams’ game, having the speed to be anywhere on the field before the offense knows what’s hit them. But another defensive coach dampened the hype just a bit by pointing out Williams’ glaring lack of takeaways. That downside to his game is what keeps him from ranking higher on the list.

As for Sherwood, he is one more breakout season away from potentially joining the Top 10 himself. In 2024, he racked up 158 total tackles, more than tripling his production from the previous year. He also accounted for two sacks and twelve tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage. An NFL personnel evaluator had this to say about Sherwood: “Ascending player. He's a bullet. Was one of my favorite [pending] free agents back in March.”

As aforementioned, the Jets defense as a whole took a step back in 2024, but that was likely due to the chaos of the perhaps ill-timed firing of former head coach Robert Saleh. Now, with a defensive mind like Aaron Glenn calling the shots in New York and with Jets defenders receiving praise across the board, it feels like they’re going to once again be one of the most dominant defenses in football.