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Jets Should Take Flier on These Free Agents to Fix Pass-Rush Problems

Here are three under-the-radar options for the Jets to consider in free agency that can help bolster New York's pass rush in 2022.

Blake Pace

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Getting pressure with four defenders: a tale for success as old as time. While we have only really started to emphasize its importance in a modern, pass-happy NFL, that has been the solution for decades as far as stunting opposing offenses goes. When the big boys up front can break the five-on-four advantage while leaving their seven teammates to roam the second and third levels, the downfield passing game doesn’t stand a chance.

The Jets, a team that did not see success in the 2021 season, can place a fair share of blame on their defensive line; a group that was bottom-10 in quarterback pressures, quarterback hurries and sacks. 

Expectations for the group had to be lessened before the season when free-agent acquisition Carl Lawson — fresh off a career-high season in quarterback hits and pressures — ruptured his Achilles just before the season began. It wasn’t a deep group to begin with, and the blow to their No. 1 guy essentially sealed their fate before a game had even begun.

Speaking of the rest of the unit, let me make something clear: this is not an untalented or bad collection of athletes. It is, rather, a group that is deep with players who are built to stop the run. John Franklin-Myers graded as the ninth-best run defender at his position last season, with Ronald Blair III and Shaq Lawson both grading inside the top 50.

There’s zero problem in asking to have a group that excels at both stopping the run and rushing the pass, but the reality is that this group is not one that will — at least not at its current state. Fortunately, the Jets are set up with a defensive philosophy that shuffles in more names up front than most of the league. If this rotation can morph itself into a two-headed animal, with one front that feasts on the run with the other getting to the quarterback, then the defense will start to resemble those of the 2019 and 2020 49ers units that got defensive coordinator Robert Saleh into the head chair in New York.

Great pass-rushers who also won’t be starters don’t grow on trees, but this free-agent group has several names who could thrive in pass-only situations. Let’s take a look at some of the under-the-radar options.

Three Pass Rushers the Jets Could Take a Flier on in Free Agency This Offseason

Here are three options for the Jets to bolster their pass rush on the free agent market.

Jacob Martin, Houston Texans

Houston Texans linebacker Jacob Martin sacks Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes all it takes is a schematic change to jolt your NFL career. Jacob Martin, a former sixth-round pick by Seattle in 2018, spent the first few years of his career coming off the bench as an outside linebacker in the Texans 3-4 base scheme. When Lovie Smith was brought in last offseason, the defense switched to a 4-3 base, and just a few months later Martin found himself as the starter on the right edge.

With his hand now in the dirt, Martin had his best season to date with career bests in tackles, tackles for loss, pressures, hurries and sacks. Both his overall and pass-rush grades were personal highs, and both landed inside the top 50 amongst edge rushers.

Make no mistake, Martin is not ready for a starting role. His 2021 audition with the Texans was more of a “see what value I can bring to your group” than anything, and what he auditioned was some aggressive handwork that complements a quick burst off the line. Not only would he be allowed to solely focus on getting to the quarterback as a situational rusher, but his position versatility could come in handy give the Jets struggles with linebacker depth last season. This would be my top target this offseason for the Jets in order to help bolster their pass-rush while not needing to replace someone in the starting lineup.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo pressures Washington quarterback
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

This former Oklahoma Sooner is a 2018 fifth-rounder turned pass-rush specialist and newly Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams. His opportunities didn’t come often, hidden in the depths of a ridiculously talented frontline for the Rams, but he certainly made the most of them when they came. Since the 2020 season Okoronkwo has 25 quarterback pressures in under 250 snaps, an impressive success rate, and was PFF’s 29th-best pass-rusher at the edge position.

He’s shown to be capable in the run, but his 253-pound frame struggles against power and best fits him as a passing-down edge. There’s no guarantee that his production will continue with an uptick in snaps, but he’s got tremendous burst and pass-rush moves to make him effective in a larger role. At the $2 or $3 million price range, he’s easily worth the gamble this offseason.

Arden Key, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arden Key celebrates sack
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Arden Key never worked with Robert Saleh in San Francisco, having joined the team this offseason after being cut by the Raiders last April, but the success he had in the same defensive scheme would hopefully bode just as well in New York.

As a depth piece behind a talented defensive line, Key thrived in his pass-rush situations, tripling his previous season-high sack total with 6.5 and hitting the quarterback 17 times. His percentage of pressures was a career-best, and he graded out significantly better than any of his previous three season.

With Key in fold, you’re betting on the fact that the change of scenery is what catapulted his success and that it wasn’t a flash in the pan. He’s never spoken fondly of his time in Oakland/Las Vegas, saying that his release was the “best thing that could’ve happened” for his career, so maybe his was being held back in his previous situation. Much like with Martin and Okoronkwo, the price tag will not be high, making it a bet worth taking.

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Blake Pace
BLAKE PACE

Covering the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated, Blake Pace is an Upstate New York native and a James Madison University alumnus. He previously served as the Sports Editor for JMU’s student-run paper The Breeze, and is a former contributor to SB Nation’s Stampede Blue. 

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