Jets' offseason moves have bolstered the defense

Darren Mougey was sitting next to Aaron Glenn a few days after another terrible season ended and gave a little window into how the Jets planned to build their roster.

“Everyone wants to be aggressive, but calculated with how they attack offseasons,” Mougey, the Jets' general manager, said in January. “We're always going to look to add and kind of know where we might be deficient and where we might need to really add power.”

The Jets have done that this offseason, particularly on defense. They’ve added eight new defensive players through trades and the first wave of free agency on mostly team-friendly contracts that addressed some major issues that hurt them last year.

On offense, bringing back Geno Smith nearly 10 years after he attempted his last pass as a Jet is neither exciting nor franchise altering. For a one-year bridge quarterback and considering who was available, Smith isn’t a bad option.

He’s better than Justin Fields, Zach Wilson and many others the Jets have trotted out at the position over the years. Smith should actually give the Jets a downfield passing game — finally.

Smith has thrown for more than 3,000 yards the past four seasons, including over 4,200 twice. Since Smith left the Jets, only Sam Darnold (2019) and Aaron Rodgers (2024) have surpassed 3,000 yards. Joe Namath is the only Jet to throw for 4,000 yards . . . 59 years ago.

The Jets also signed former Raiders left guard Dylan Parham to replace John Simpson. Parham graded higher on Pro Football Focus than Simpson last season.

The most impactful changes will be on defense where Glenn will be calling the plays.

The Jets now have a more versatile group that fit what Glenn is looking to do — play more of a 3-4 base and use multiple looks to try and affect the quarterback.

Major changes were needed after the Jets finished last in interceptions (they were the first team in NFL history not to record one in a season), takeaways and passing touchdowns allowed. They also were next-to-last in sacks, pressures and points allowed and bottom-six in rushing defense and missed tackles.

There is no official stat for this, but the Jets were sorely lacking in leadership. C.J. Mosley’s retirement left a huge void.

The Jets addressed those deficiencies and emphasized veteran leadership by bringing in respected, vocal linebacker Demario Davis, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and tackle David Onyemata.

“I take a lot of pride and passion in helping elevate a defense,” Davis said.

Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro, made the playoffs four times with the Steelers and said “it’s extremely important” to have players who can settle and lead everyone during tough times.

“Any team that is a winning team, whether it be the business world or the sports world, I think they have experienced men and women who have done it at a high level and seen the highs and the lows,” Fitzpatrick said. “When you bring in guys like that into a football program, I think there's a level of calm and a level of discipline and not being scared of the unknown that it is extremely important.”

Fitzpatrick and new cornerbacks Nahshon Wright and Dane Belton should help the Jets get takeaways. The Jets set NFL records for futility last season with zero interceptions and four total takeaways.

Wright had five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles last season for Chicago. Fitzpatrick has been a ballhawk throughout his career. Belton has six picks, four forced fumbles and four recoveries in four seasons while playing under 40 percent of the defensive snaps.

Davis and defensive tackles T’Vondre Sweat and Onyemata are good run stoppers and don’t miss many tackles. Sweat and Onyemata combined for five last season.

The Jets added young pass rushers Joe Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare, joining Will McDonald on the edge.

Ossai had more quarterback pressures and hurries last season than McDonald and Jermaine Johnson in fewer snaps. Ossai (five) had more sacks than Johnson (three). Enagbare had three as a situational player in 210 fewer snaps than Johnson, who was traded to Tennessee for Sweat.

The Jets hope to generate more pressure and force the quarterback into making mistakes.

“Speaking to AG, he wants to give quarterbacks different looks so that it creates that angst when they're making their first and second read,” Fitzpatrick said. “By that time, you’d like for the guys in the front seven to be collapsing that pocket and force those bad decisions or force sacks and force turnovers.”

The Jets aren’t going to go from worst-to-first, but they should be much more competitive with the changes and improvements they’ve made on defense -— and they’re not done. They could add a game-wrecking edge rusher with the No. 2 pick in next month’s draft.

Nwangwu returns

The Jets are bringing back kick returner Kene Nwangwu on a one-year deal, league sources said. Nwangwu was a key member of one of the NFL’s best special teams units last year. He returned 18 kicks for 604 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown return in a win over Cleveland.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.