The defensive line was the greatest strength of the New York Jets‘ roster throughout the majority of the 2010s, and that remains true here in 2021.
But things are much, much different this time around.
While the Jets undoubtedly have had some legitimately excellent defensive lines, there was one ability that their defensive front never truly mastered: pass rushing.
New York’s defensive line proficiency was predicated upon dominance in the run game. From 2010-20, the Jets allowed the fewest yards per carry of any team in the NFL (3.86).
However, the pass rush was uninspiring as the Jets ranked 23rd with only 2.