With the departure of Bryce Huff, will the Jets be able to replace their sack leaders’ production?

Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterMar 12, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — In late January, New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV cut short a vacation in Miami to return to New Jersey, where he started working out at the team’s facility. Does the early bird get the quarterback?

The Jets sure hope so because their investment in McDonald, drafted 15th overall in 2023, needs to pay off in a big way now that sack leader Bryce Huff is off to the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year contract for a reported $51.1 million. The Jets let Huff get to the open market, in part, because of their faith in McDonald, who had a non-descript rookie year after a prolific career at Iowa State.

So this is just a simple case of “Next Man Up,” right? Well, not exactly.

The Jets are a win-now team with 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers running the show, so it naturally raises question about their inability to retain their best edge rusher. The identity of the team is defense, the identity of the defense is the front four, and they just let 10 sacks walk out the door.

Huff was their best speed rusher since John Abraham (circa 2004), an undrafted free agent who worked his way through the pipeline, bet on himself and cashed in. The Jets, with glaring needs on the offensive line, weren’t about to go as high as $17 million per year, but they could’ve been proactive by re-signing him before the season.

Clearly, they recognized his talent; they gave him the second-round tender ($4 million) last March as a restricted free agent. They also spurned multiple trade overtures last year, a sure sign that teams would be lining up if he hit free agency. By the end of the season, the Jets were bracing for the likelihood of his departure. Initially, he was seeking $20 million per year, a source said.

“Bryce is an outstanding player,” general manager Joe Douglas said at the scouting combine. “He definitely deserves this opportunity to see where he is in the open market.”

The Jets haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010, and letting a player like Huff get away might not help change that fortune. Huff’s 21.8% pressure rate was tops among all edge rushers in 2023 (minimum: 200 pass rushes), per NFL Next Gen Stats. Surely, they would’ve been able to figure out a way to use Huff and McDonald.

So why didn’t Douglas step up? Huff played only 42% of the defensive snaps and didn’t command as much attention from opponents as defensive tackle Quinnen Williams or even fellow edge Jermaine Johnson, who drew a higher percentage of double teams than Huff. So, to a degree, they felt he was a situational player who was a product of a strong supporting cast.

But he was highly effective in those situations, and everybody knows the Jets’ defensive philosophy is predicated on rushing the passer with four men, not blitzing. Can McDonald replace the production? It’s a projection because he played only 184 snaps, the fewest among 2023 first-round picks.

The Jets also could sign a reinforcement, but they need to replace Huff’s sack production if the want to ease the lift on being a win-now team.