The New York Jets may have to deal with a considerable absence on their defensive line with the departure of defensive end John Franklin-Myers this offseason. Franklin-Myers was traded to the Denver Broncos this winter, leaving the Jets without one of their steadiest contributors from a year ago. This may reverberate in their defensive ranks in 2024.
How John Franklin-Myers directly impacted the Jets’ defense in 2023
In 2023, the 27-year-old notched 3.5 sacks and a career-high three passes defended, contributing to his 33 total tackles on the season. He finished No. 6 on the team in sacks and also came in at No. 4 with 14 quarterback hits.
The Jets went 4-2 when Franklin-Myers registered a tackle for loss. All of this contributed to him receiving a 70.4 player grade from Pro Football Focus. He was a strong contributor to their run defense, causing SNY’s Lucas Hutcherson to forecast what the Jets may do on the edge to compensate for his absence:
“It may make a bigger difference on running downs, where Franklin-Myers played a key role on the strong side. [Haason] Reddick might end up playing more of a role on these downs than was initially expected, but he’s much smaller than Franklin-Myers — so the Jets should also use Micheal Clemons to rotate in for some of these situations,” Hutcherson said.
How the Jets’ replacement options could fill Franklin-Myers’ shoes
The Jets have several options they can deploy in Franklin-Myers’ place, but his effectiveness in containing ground attacks and getting after the QB are contributions the team will miss in his absence.
Reddick had a monster year with the Philadelphia Eagles last year, where he piled on 11 sacks and 23 QB hits comparable to Franklin-Myers, but only got his hands on one pass defended.
The Jets’ other options include Solomon Thomas and Will McDonald. Robert Saleh will have decisions to make on who to place on the outside to replace the California native, though the 2024 NFL campaign will shed light on just how much his output and intangibles are missed next season.