Two Jets defenders make PFF’s Top 50 rankings

Every year, before the NFL season begins, the analysts at Pro Football Focus put together a list of the 50 best NFL players. PFF’s rankings are based mostly on a player’s grade and on certain analytics, like wins-above-replacement. This year, their Top 50 list features two New York Jets, both of whom play defense: cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Both of these players appeared on last year’s list but have slipped in the rankings. Gardner went from No. 16 to No. 23, while Williams fell from No. 27 all the way to No. 44. Somewhat ironically, Williams has already landed on the NFL’s annual Top 100 players ranking, but on that list he lands all the way down at 87th, a drop of 50 spots from last year’s rankings and more than 40 spots lower than PFF’s list.

Writing for PFF, analysts Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema have this to say about Quinnen William’s ranking: “With Aaron Glenn bringing a more aggressive, attacking front to New York, Williams is a strong candidate to rebound in 2025 and reestablish himself as one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders.”

As for Gardner, his inclusion is almost a no-brainer. At No. 23 he is the highest ranked cornerback on this year’s list. “Since 2022, [Gardner] leads all cornerbacks with a 91.9 coverage grade and 2.10 PFF [wins-above-replacement]. While his interception total isn’t eye-popping, Gardner’s 43 forced incompletions lead the league over that span. In 2025, he could showcase his skills even more in a more aggressive scheme under new head coach Aaron Glenn.”

You may have noticed similar remarks for both players, and it’s a common theme when projecting any Jets defender in 2025: a belief in Aaron Glenn to turn this unit around after a slight regression in 2024, and make it one of the league’s premier defenses.

Whether that belief is well-founded will need to be proven on the field, though Glenn’s track record speaks for itself. Glenn helped the Lions weather an unprecedented number of injuries to key defensive starters all throughout 2024 and still put a respectable unit on the field. It’s easy to imagine how much better his defenses could be with the kind of talent that is in New York.