Finding success on Draft night isn’t always easy for NFL teams but the New York Jets have certainly done so. In 2022, Gang Green’s scouting department nabbed four straight Pro-Bowl or All-Pro caliber players with their first four selections – setting themselves up with a strong core of dominant football players.
It’s not just the loaded draft class from last year that is the cause of the team’s current success though. Arguably the most unsung group of heroes so far this season for the team have been those that everyone has overlooked over the years.
New York’s ability to find diamonds in the rough among the undrafted free agent classes has been highly impressive recently. General manager Joe Douglas has had a history of finding talented individuals after the draft, but what he’s done recently with the Jets is a streak unlike any in modern NFL history.
Having one talented undrafted free agent leave a mark on a current roster is always great, having five is unheard of. For the Jets, their five undrafted free agents have not only saved their season but have put the team in a position to overwhelm any future opponent in their path.
Bryce Huff
Huff has been arguably one of the best defensive players in football this season, let alone an undrafted free agent. The former Memphis star is among the top in the league in pressures while improving his overall run defense. His improvements overall have been so vast that he’s now getting among the top snap totals on the entire defense as a whole.
His game has been a welcome sign for the entire coaching staff.
“When he first got here, he remade his body and became a pretty cool pass rush specialist,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said of Huff. “Over the last year, he’s really done a nice job to kind of force his way to first and second down to get more reps in those opportunities. We know what he is in the pass game and if he can continue trending in the right direction with regards to the run game, he’s got a place.”
So long as Huff continues to play like the defensive star he is right now, the only question left to answer will be the kind of contract he will get after this season. As a dynamic pass rusher, Huff could command a sizeable increase in salary once the regular season concludes and it will leave the Jets with an easy decision to resign him or let him walk to another team.
Overall though, Huff has been the top undrafted free agent player the Jets have had recently and it’s a welcome sign for the entire scouting department.
Tony Adams
Speaking of undrafted talents on defense, the improved play from Tony Adams has transformed the Jets’ safety group from one of the worst overall groups last season to a competent force in 2023. Ignoring the numbers, New York’s secondary was able to compete at a high level against passing offenses like the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and last week’s game against the Eagles.
For Adams, he made the play of the day against the NFC Champs by picking off Hurts in the final two minutes to set up the game-winning score and the win. A UDFA from Illinois, Adams has become an integral part of New York’s secondary and a big reason why the team is 3-3 to start their gauntlet of a schedule.
Xavier Gipson
When an undrafted free agent takes the role of a seasoned veteran, you know the organization struck gold. Before the 2023 season began, Mecole Hardman was expected to be the top returner on the roster with some gadget plays on offense to turn the tide in most games.
Then Xavier Gipson was signed.
The undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin has already won a single game for the Jets on his own but made a veteran like Hardman expendable by Week 6. His work in the return game and his overall speed have made him an important member of this offense. As his career continues to grow, it’s hard not to see how Gipson could be an important long-term member as well.
Special Teams Aces
The big undrafted names for New York may lie on defense, but the recent additions on special teams have been extremely important. Irv Charles and Jason Brownlee have been excellent gunners for the organization as of late. Charles’ forced fumble in Denver turned the tide of the game while his tackle a week later against the Eagles shut down what was the best overall group in the league to this point.
Most undrafted free agents have to make a name for themselves on special teams to carve out a role. With players like Charles and Brownlee stepping up, it’s another feather in the cap of Douglas’ scouting department to find all these competent players hungry to prove they belong in the NFL.
