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New York Jets defensive tackle Jowon Briggs trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills.

An underrated New York Jets player is finally getting his due.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report revealed every NFL team’s “best kept secret” ahead of OTAs. For the Jets, he listed defensive tackle Jowon Briggs.

“The New York Jets have renovated their defense, which should provide the team with an identity after floundering during Aaron Glenn’s first season as head coach. Plenty of change occurred, with at least one young retention deserving of mention. Either through trade, free agency, or the draft, New York acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick, Demario Davis, T’Vondre Sweat, Joseph Ossai, David Bailey, and D’Angelo Ponds this offseason,” Sobleski wrote.

“The Jets traded for Jowon Briggs last offseason. At this point in his career, the 24-year-old defensive lineman is not an every-down defender. However, he adds juice as an interior pass-rusher. Briggs’ four sacks finished second on the team last year, and he ranked fifth in pressure rate among defensive tackles, according to TruMedia (h/t Pro Football Network). Sweat, Mazi Smith, and rookie Darrell Jackson won’t provide much from a pass-rush perspective. Briggs can regularly be on the field as part of sub-packages,” Sobleski explained.

Aging Like a Fine Wine

At the end of last year’s preseason, general manager Darren Mougey realized he needed some more help at defensive tackle.

He struck a trade with the Cleveland Browns, sending a 2026 sixth-round pick for a 2026 seventh-round pick and Briggs.

At the time, it was a nondescript trade for a nondescript player.

Despite those humble beginnings, Briggs immediately proved to be a key contributor for the Jets on defense.

The former Virginia and Cincinnati product entered the league as the No. 243 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft. He barely played as a rookie with the Browns. Briggs appeared in just six games and didn’t make a single start. He played 34% of the defensive snaps.

When he was traded to the Jets, they gave him plenty more opportunities to show his worth. With the green and white, Briggs appeared in all 17 games and made eight starts. He delivered a career season with four sacks, eight tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and 10 quarterback hits. Briggs appeared in 52% of the defensive snaps in 2025.

Jets Continue to Cash In

This offseason, Briggs was an ERFA, or otherwise known as an exclusive rights free agent.

“Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams,” the NFL operation manual states.

In layman’s terms, the Jets got to keep Briggs this offseason on a one-year, $1.07 million deal. For context, that makes him the No. 182 highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, per Over The Cap.

The good news doesn’t stop there. Next offseason, Briggs is scheduled to be a restricted free agent. That means the Jets will have another path to keeping Briggs on a relatively cheap deal.

There are three restricted free agent tenders the Jets could choose to put on Briggs next offseason. Here are the projected 2027 totals from Over The Cap:

• First round: $8.73 million
• Second round: $6.26 million
• Right of first refusal: $3.82 million

Briggs will be due for a pay raise, but it will still be a significant discount for the Jets next offseason. Briggs, 24, will turn 25 before the start of the 2026 season.

This was one of Darren Mougey’s best moves as the general manager of the Jets, which doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves.