Paired with C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams, Kwon Alexander allowed the New York Jets to possess one of the more dominant linebacking cores in the entire league in 2022.
Following the 7-10 season though, New York understood that with both Alexander and Williams set to be free agents, they probably wouldn’t be able to bring back both stellar off-ball defenders. In the end, Gang Green decided to lock up Quincy with a long-term deal and Alexander has had to wait until after the 2023 NFL Draft for potential interest.
The former Buccaneer and 49er visited with the Steelers Monday night in an effort to try and bolster his overall market. In 12 starts last season, the LSU product made 69 tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass defense. Pro Football Focus graded his first year in New York at an above-average 63.
With Alexander potentially moving away from the Jets, there is a massive need for the weakside linebacker and not a lot of potential solutions for the team. As of right now, the team is scheduled to start Jamien Sherwood. They only have Zaire Barnes and Hamsah Nasirildeen as potential depth behind their starters as well.
Should their former starting linebacker start elsewhere, who could the Jets turn to solidify their core? There are really only three options for them to really consider.
Myles Jack
Jack is an athletic freak who played well with Pittsburgh last season. The Jets always want to have athletic players in key positions and the former second-round pick could very well be a perfect fit for a defense that is looking to build off of a top-five unit last season.
Deion Jones
Jones is not the same player that had him looking like a future All-Pro performer with Atlanta and with Dan Quinn. That doesn’t mean he isn’t dependable though. Like Alexander, Jones went to LSU and has recorded over 100 tackles in five of seven seasons. As long as Mosley and Williams are on the team and playing, Jones would be an excellent third linebacker.
Kyle Van Noy
Van Noy is a tricky player to judge for the Jets. On the one hand, New England has used him very well throughout his career and has gotten him paid in several different stops. On the other hand, any time Van Noy went outside of Bill Belichick, he struggled and was seemingly out of football. He’s 32 years old as well which will make things difficult should the Jets even consider bringing him in.
