New York Jets: Linebacker remains a giant, glaring need
The New York Jets defense has a giant need at the linebacker position going into the 2021 NFL season.
New York Jets fans have rejoiced with the hiring of defensive guru Robert Saleh as their new head coach. So much so that fans believe Saleh will instantly revamp a unit that was ranked 24th by PFF (subscription required) this past season. That’s not how these things work, though, especially when there is a need for talent.
There are still issues with the defense. General manager Joe Douglas has done an excellent job adding pieces to help solidify the defensive line, but the linebacker position is as paper-thin as the Jets secondary.
This offseason, New York let 2020 tackle leader Neville Hewitt, Jordan Jenkins, Patrick Onwuasor, Harvey Langi and Frankie Luvu leave in free agency. Sure, the team has added former first-round pick Jarrad Davis but he’s been a shell of what’s been expected from him going into his fifth season; in fact, he lost his starting job with the Detroit Lions this past season.
Playing alongside Davis are C.J. Mosley and Blake Cashman, who combined have only played 13 games in the last two seasons. Of that duo, Mosley is the most disappointing to this point for Gang Green fans.
Prior to joining the Jets, Mosley was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Baltimore Ravens and an elite defensive playmaker. He showed some of that same potential in his first game with the Jets, but it’ll be two years since then when he takes the field in 2021. And going into his age-29 season, no one knows what kind of player will show up.
Cashman, on the other hand, was a selection of the former regime of the Jets who has shown plenty of potential as a coverage linebacker. Injuries have plagued his short career so far, though, as Cashman has never managed to play more than eight games in a season. Relying on him to play a full now-17-game season is fool’s gold at this point.
New York added some new depth in the draft, selecting Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasirildeen in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. But Day 3 rookies becoming meaningful starters is also extremely unlikely — there’s less than a 10 percent chance of a linebacker drafted in the fifth round or later becoming a starter in the NFL.
It’s hard to feel comfortable with the current linebacking group the Jets are trotting out knowing that, especially when both players are converting from safety.
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Perhaps Saleh is able to work his magic and convert an edge rusher into an outside linebacker or acquire a veteran through free agency or the draft. Regardless, as it stands, the team is in desperate need of upgrading the position and providing quality depth in the case that any starter goes down with an injury.