Jets' Jarrad Davis to miss about two months with ankle injury

The Jets suffered another big loss on defense in Green Bay.

Starting linebacker Jarrad Davis will be out about two months after injuring his ankle in Saturday’s preseason victory over the Packers. Coach Robert Saleh said Davis would be back sometime around the Jets’ bye, which is Week 6.

This is another huge hit to Saleh’s revamped defense. Edge rusher Carl Lawson’s first season as a Jet ended on Thursday in a joint practice with the Packers when he ruptured his Achilles.

"I feel terrible for the two that are injured," Saleh said during a Monday morning Zoom call. "The amount of work that they put in and how much they’ve studied and how much they’ve bought into our scheme and the way we’re trying to get things done and for them to lose part of their season and in Carl’s case all of his season, I feel sick for them.

"We’ll figure it out and someone will step up and we’ll keep on moving."

Davis, a hard hitter and fiery competitor, was the first player the Jets came to terms with in free agency. The former Lion felt rejuvenated with the Jets and in Saleh’s 4-3 scheme after nearly walking away from football.

Lawson was their big signing and was having a tremendous camp. The Jets envisioned the two leading their new-look 4-3 defense.

For now, the plan is to turn to some mostly inexperienced replacements.

On the edge, Bryce Huff, who appeared in 14 games for the Jets last year as an undrafted rookie free agent, will step in for Lawson. John Franklin-Myers had been playing on the other edge with the starting team. The two have started two games combined.

The other defensive ends currently on the Jets’ active roster are Ronnie Blair, Jabari Zuniga, rookie Hamilcar Rashed Jr. and Jeremiah Valoaga. This group has two total starts.

The Jets placed Lawson on injured reserve Monday and signed former Ravens defensive end Aaron Adeoye. The Jets are also expected to explore trades for an edge rusher. They have plenty of draft capital to make a deal.

Possible targets include Chandler Jones, who reportedly wants to be traded from Arizona, Dante Fowler, who played for Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta last year, and Derek Barnett, whom Jets general manager Joe Douglas has ties to as a former Eagles’ executive.

Saleh said he and Douglas would talk, but he’s concerned with the players he has.

"My head is so deep into our tape and just focusing on these guys right now," Saleh said. "There’s always going to be personnel discussions with Joe and myself. As far as the seriousness of all that, I’m really just focused on the guys that are here right now."

The linebacker position also lacks experience aside from former Pro Bowler middle linebacker C.J. Mosley. Saleh expects rookie Jamien Sherwood to slide into Davis’ role as strongside linebacker. Rookie Hamsah Nasirildeen has been starting on the other side.

"We really like our linebacker group," Saleh said. "We’ve got a combination of youth and experience. Sherwood’s been doing a really nice job. We’re expecting him to slide in and pick up where Jarrad left off. He’s been having a really nice camp. It’s an opportunity for him to step in and take on a bigger role."

Blake Cashman, Noah Dawkins, Edmond Robinson, Del’Shawn Phillips and Camilo Eifler are the other linebackers currently on the roster.

Sherwood, a fifth-round pick from Auburn, is transitioning from safety to linebacker, as is Nasirildeen. Saleh sees some comparisons between Sherwood and Fred Warner, whom he coached in San Francisco.

Warner played nickelback in college and Saleh moved him to linebacker, started him in Week 1 "and he took off." The Jets can only hope for the same for Sherwood.

"Sherwood has a tremendous mindset to him," Saleh said. "He’s extremely smart, he’s got great command of the playbook already. He’s got the respect of his peers. He’s an unbelievable communicator.

"He’s got tremendous length, tremendous instincts, he’s got a great feel for the game. There’s going to be some hiccups along the way, but we feel with reps he’s only going to get better."