Robert Saleh Digging Jets' D-Line Additions

Third-year head coach praises battle-tested defensive tackles

The New York Jets entered the offseason with the cornerstone piece already in place on their defensive line.

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams raised his performance to an All-Pro level last year, but two of his fellow interior linemen from the NFL's fourth-ranked defense subsequently departed in free agency. 

Replacing Sheldon Rankins and Nathan Shepherd, who both signed elsewhere, the Jets inked two veteran defensive tackles from the Seattle Seahawks. Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson made the cross-country move to join Gang Green's vaunted defense.

Woods, who checks in at 6'4" and 309 pounds, was responsible for blowing up a play late in practice on Friday.

"He’s a very large human who’s never really had a chance to just go in the way we teach it, so it looks really good," said Saleh after Practice No. 2.

The 36-year-old Woods has played 155 regular season games in the NFL and even has experience as a true nose tackle. In 2022, he accounted for 39 combined stops and 2.0 sacks over 14 starts.

Then, there's Jefferson, who has not missed a game in the last three seasons.

"He’s another one of those guys who’s just straight business with the way he approaches the game," said Saleh. "Just adding him and Al [Woods] to that D-Line group, it’s going to be awesome."

Standing at 6'4" and 291 pounds, Jefferson has totaled 20.5 sacks and 64 quarterback hits over 89 career contests.

Jefferson, who spoke from the podium on Friday, was attracted to the Jets due, in part, to the idea of joining the team's productive defensive front.

"You see that D-Line? We got some dawgs out there," said the 30-year-old Jefferson. "I was already familiar players with a few players on there. It's just about comfortability. I feel like there's a lot of players who are just like me, same hunger. I was excited to get out there with a great group of guys."

The group also features physical specimen Micheal Clemons, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, along with grizzled veteran Solomon Thomas, who played in Saleh's defense as a former member of the San Francisco 49ers.

There's no shortage of capable edge players, either, with Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers leading the charge.

"For sure, we’re as deep as anybody in football, and it’s a cool group because of the men that are in that room," said Saleh. "You guys know how big character is to us in this building, and every single one of them, starting with Quinnen, are just made with the right stuff."

"We're as deep as anybody in football."

Coach Saleh on our D-Line group. pic.twitter.com/KpWKz6jxaS

— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 21, 2023

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