Robert Saleh is known for his aggressive and fierce defense. He will bring that and more to the Jets in 2021.
Although Saleh said he will not call defense plays – he will leave that to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich – the Jets will still use the 4-3 defense base that Saleh ran during his four years with the 49ers. There will also be some Seattle influence, as well as wrinkles from Ulbrich’s toolkit. The Jets, for the most part, had a 3-4 defense under Gregg Williams, but current New York folks really fit in better with a defense that prioritizes trenches with a four-line defense down and three linebackers behind them.
Saleh has perfected his defense over the past four seasons, building an unstoppable defensive line. Reached its peak in 2019 with four choices in the first round, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford, but Saleh transformed a line laden with injuries into one of the best units in 2020 with Armstead, Kerry Hyder, DJ Jones and Javon Kinlaw . Saleh won’t have as much firepower in New York as he did in San Francisco, but he’ll have enough to start with.
The key to this defense will be the ability of the Jets to obtain pressure from the defensive line, especially from a quick tip rusher. Saleh employed many Wide-9 alignments in San Francisco that spaced the defensive ends off the tight ends on the offensive line, which opened up gaps for the defensive tackles to engage the guards one by one inside and obtain better penetration against the racing game or for hurry the quarterback. This configuration is likely to be the focal point of Saleh and Ulbirch’s attack next season.
Quinnen Williams will be the biggest beneficiary of this schematic change, as he will assume the defensive position on the line. Saleh has said he loves what he saw from Williams and is “excited to take the seat belt off the harness and let it go,” according to The Athletic. Williams will be hired as Saleh used DeForest Buckner in San Francisco and as Ulbrich used Grady Jarrett in Atlanta.
Speed will also be important for this defense. Saleh said in his introductory press conference that he wants “as much speed as possible” Williams is already ultra-fast for his size, but the Jets have two other pieces of the puzzle that fit that line: Foley Fatuaski as the tackle and John Franklin- Myers as the defensive edge.
However, Jets do not have a truly dominant edge rusher, which is crucial for this defense.
Tarell Basham is the obvious candidate to fill that role, but he is an impending free agent. Bryce Huff or Jabari Zuniga can win that role in this off-season – both are quick and young enough to become dominant, but are still very rude candidates. Henry Anderson and Nathan Shepherd are also options, but neither are they blocks to being with the team in 2021. Jets can also recruit or hire someone at a free agency if they don’t think their fourth owner is already on the list.
CJ Mosley will assume the traditional linebacker position that he played and prospered during his five years with the Ravens. He will be the leader of the defense and will provide fantastic running support behind the defensive line. External linebackers will be there for run-stop support, but will also play a crucial role in defending the Cover-2 zone with two cornerbacks outside and two security guards behind them. Neville Hewitt and Blake Cashman are prepared for these situations – as both are adept at safety coverage who have proven themselves to be competent running advocates as well.
The secondary is the biggest question mark for Saleh and Ulbrich. Security Marcus Maye would be a great fit, but the Jets need to give him a new contract to keep him close. The second security position is completely at stake, but it can be taken by Ashtyn Davis or Bradley McDougald if the Jets reheat him. McDougald knows how to play safely in a Seahawks-style defense and could fit well with Saleh and Ulbrich’s New York adaptation.
Bryce Hall proved it could be a solid external cornerback at the end of the season, but the Jets still need another one to fill the defense. Bless Austin looks more like a piece of depth, so Saleh must look to the free agency or the draft to find his other cornerback. Brian Poole remains a solid option, too, if the Jets want to hire him again as a nickel cornerback or even as a safety.
Fortunately for the Jets, it doesn’t take many personnel changes to build a successful defense. However, important decisions will need to be made in important positions – edge rusher, safety and external cornerback – to solidify the unit, and this is where Douglas’ financial flexibility and drawing capital will come into play.
There are many issues that will not be resolved about this defense until the end of this season, but the pieces are in place to create a successful unit in 2021 that revolves around speed and pressure. Saleh and Ulbrich took defenses with huge gaps last year and made them into respectable units – Saleh’s defense came in sixth in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, despite serious injuries, while Ulbrich reduced eight points per game and 75 yards per game of his defensive average in his 11 games after being promoted to defensive coordinator.