Jets Stars Reddick, Williams Projected for Big Seasons, Says ESPN

As the regular season nears, the clock is ticking on the New York Jets and edge rusher Haason Reddick, the high-profile trade of New York’s offseason. As their contract stalemate continues, the Jets are holding out hope that Reddick returns to the team in time for their Week 1 contest against the San Francisco 49ers.

Fortunately for the Jets, they don’t need Reddick – at least on paper. The pass rush is deep and well-rounded without him, and while there’s no debating that his presence would be a meaningful upgrade, the rest of the defense is talented enough to stay afloat.

But staying afloat doesn’t win championships.

On Monday, ESPN released its sack model , projecting pass-rush production for the top 50 non-rookies along the defensive line.

Reddick ranked fifth, with 11 projected sacks.

“If Reddick suits up for the Jets this year -- which is in question -- he has a great chance to put up big numbers,” Seth Walder wrote. “In 2023, Bryce Huff became the first Jets edge rusher in a decade to reach double-digit sacks, but he left for the Eagles in free agency, opening the door for Reddick's trade from Philadelphia. This model has always loved Reddick, and it's not going to stop now.

“His numbers dipped last season, but he still had 11 sacks and a top-10 pass rush win rate (22%). And the model still factors in Reddick's epic 2022 campaign (16 sacks, 28% PRWR) as well ... but it doesn't factor in holdout risk.”

He’s not a lone standout on the Jets defensive line, though. Part of what makes New York so imposing is defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and his ability to wreck games from multiple alignments.

He, too, fared well in the projection, landing 25th with 7.6 projected sacks.

“One significant factor we haven't discussed yet is position,” Walder wrote. “It's much harder for a defensive tackle to put up big-time sack totals, so playing along the interior of the defensive line hampers a player's forecast. Williams is second to the Chiefs' Chris Jones (10.0) among defensive tackles on this list -- and Jones played edge roughly a quarter of the time. But Williams is in the prime of his career, is on a good team and has shown double-digit sack ability in the past.”

The duo of Reddick and Williams combined for the fourth-highest total of any duo, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys.

Related: Did McKinley Win Jets' Roster Spot in Preseason Finale?

Needless to say, Reddick is a big part of New York’s plans. Maybe the team is willing to bank on the first-round pedigree of Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, but that plan is only as good as the Jets’ start.

New York has the better hand at this point in negotiations, but the spotlight is only going to get brighter if the Jets and their pass rush don’t get off to a quick start.