It would appear that watching their defense get steamrolled on the ground for much of 2025 did in fact compel Darren Mougey to beef up on defense which he did by drafting Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson. The 6′ 5” 315lb Jackson has the size and length to be a force in the middle.
He’ll join newly acquired T’Vondre Sweat and David Onyemata along with Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs to put together what the Jets hope will be a formidable defensive front.
Here’s what the folks at nfl.com had to say about Jackson in his combine profile:
While he’s an enormous interior presence with impressive physical features, Jackson’s inconsistencies are partially rooted in flawed fundamentals and technique. He plays too upright and with inconsistent base width/block take-on, making him more easily cleared from gaps. He might never become a tree stump at the point, but he could see vast improvement in his shed-and-control with quicker hands, improved upper-body power and a full-time move to odd-front end. The tape is uneven with a floor of average backup, but Jackson’s size and length could be considered unmined gold by some teams.