Getty New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacting in the middle of a press conference.
The New York Jets aren’t done adding bodyguards for Aaron Rodgers this season.
The United Football League announced on social media that San Antonio Brahmas All-UFL offensive lineman Kohl Levao is joining the green and white.
According to James Larsen of Pro Football Newsroom, Levao is signing a three-year deal with a maximum value of $2.8 million.
Larsen explained that Levao garnered “plenty of NFL interest” and held “multiple” contract offers from NFL teams. However, he signed with the Jets because they offered him a multiyear deal which ended up being, “the biggest contract for any UFL player so far this offseason.”
Jets Are Kicking the Tires on a Worthy Prospect
Levao was on a Brahmas team that went all the way to the UFL championship game this season.
He has exclusively played the guard position over the last two years for the Brahmas. According to Pro Football Focus data, Levao has 955 career snaps at left guard and 317 snaps at right guard.
During that run, he has proven to be an above-average pass protector with pass block grades of 75.7 (2024) and 77.3 (2023), per PFF.
Levao hasn’t allowed a single sack over the last two years. Although he has given up 16 hurries and three quarterback hits, per PFF.
He hasn’t been as stellar in his run-blocking efforts. PFF graded him with a 54.7 (2024) and a 58.9 (2023) in that department.
Levao is listed at 6-foot-5 and tips the scales at 324 pounds.
Before joining the UFL, Levao played two seasons at the City College of San Francisco in California and then he was at the University of Hawaii from 2018 through 2021.
The Jets Needed More Depth on the Interior
At the professional level, Levao has gotten some serious reps on the interior of the offensive line.
However, his collegiate background featured a lot more versatility in the trenches. Levao had 13 starts at offensive tackle during his time with the City College of San Francisco in California.
In 2018, Levao started the first 11 games at right tackle and then played an additional three games at center for Hawaii.
During an injury-plagued 2019 campaign, Levao only appeared in four games but got three starts at right guard. 2020 was a similar story with injuries forcing him to only suit up for one game which was at left guard.
In his final college season, Levao started the first 12 games of that season at center and the final game at left guard.
The Jets are pretty set at the offensive tackle position with the top three being Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, and Olu Fashanu. However, the depth at guard and center are much less clear.
That opens up a golden opportunity for Levao to not only make the 53-man roster but potentially make an impact in 2024.
In a perfect world, a player like Levao wouldn’t get anywhere near the field in his NFL debut season. However with all of the injuries the green and white have suffered you never know.
General manager Joe Douglas’ job is to hope for the best and to expect the worst. With that mentality in mind, you can never have enough offensive linemen on a roster.