The New York Jets have a special talent on their hands.
ESPN’s Ben Solak was tasked with predicting the top breakout candidate for every team in the NFL. For the Jets, he chose defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
“The Jets and Titans executed a rare player-for-player (i.e., no picks) swap when they exchanged Sweat for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II. This trade was largely understood from the Titans’ perspective — they had a huge need at edge rusher, and Johnson is reuniting with Robert Saleh, who drafted him in New York. But I really like the other side of this deal,” Solak wrote.
“Sweat is a preposterously talented athlete, with considerable explosiveness at 366 pounds. His effort wanes at times, but Aaron Glenn’s greatest strength as a coach is how well he motivates. A fire lit under Sweat could produce one of the more dynamic nose tackles in the league. The flashes have been there for Sweat through two seasons as a Titan, and defensive tackle breakouts tend to come in Year 3 or 4. He’s one to watch,” Solak said.
The Key to Unlocking Sweat
Following this offseason trade, I spoke with several experts who cover the Titans. The commonality between their responses when I asked about Sweat was motivation.
If Sweat was properly motivated, he could be one of the most dynamic defensive players in the league. He possesses a rare combination of gargantuan size, speed, and disruptive power.
However, if he isn’t properly motivated or his weight gets out of control, Sweat is either not on the field or simply isn’t as effective.
Arguably, the strongest positional unit on the Jets roster is the interior defensive line. The roster is overflowing with veterans and young players with upside:
- Harrison Phillips
- Jowon Briggs
- T’Vondre Sweat
- David Onyemata
- Darrell Jackson Jr
- Mazi Smith
Sweat’s Superpower Needs to Come Into Effect
The Jets’ defense was terrible in several areas last season. The area they were the least proficent in was run defense.
Opposing teams would get out to huge leads, and then they would pound the rock. The Jets couldn’t stop a nosebleed. Other teams could run the ball down the Jets’ throat, and there was nothing they could do about it.
There’s nothing quite as demoralizing as another team deciding to run the football, you know they’re doing it, and you can’t stop it.
If the Jets can stop the run in 2026, that’ll force teams to pass more. On one hand, that’ll make them more one-dimensional, which helps.
On the other hand, when you throw the football, two out of the three things that can happen are good for the defense. It’ll be a completed pass, an incomplete pass, or an interception.
Also, the longer the quarterback holds the football, the more time the defense has to get home. One hand can feed the other.
Sweat is so massive a human, listed at 6-foot-4 and weighing 366 pounds, that people have to run around him if he just stood still. The good news for the Jets is that he doesn’t stand still. Sweat has unique movement skills for someone his size.
This may sound hyperbolic, but Sweat holds the keys to the Jets’ 2026 season.
Jets Could Have One of the Most ‘Dynamic’ Players in NFL