First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and the New York Jets have not agreed to a contract extension just yet and the longer they wait, the higher that price tag will ultimately end up being.
In their annual season preview, ESPN’s senior national NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler conducted a poll of coaches, players, and top executives to rank the best players at each specific position.
The good news for New York is that they finally have a player that has cracked the top 10 on their list.
Williams was ranked as the fourth-best defensive tackle heading into the 2023 season behind the likes of Chris Jones, Jeffrey Simmons, and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald. Last season, Williams was given an honorable mention leading into the 2022 season. As an interior rusher, the Alabama prospect tallied 12 sacks – an unheard-of mark for his position and was a stabilizing force on a defense that was a top-five unit last year for the Jets.
Other defensive tackles that ranked below Williams, but received lucrative deals of their own this offseason have been Javon Hargrave (5th) and Daron Payne (8th). Only Simmons was ranked higher than the Jets’ phenom while also agreeing to a large deal with his team.
He was the first player since Muhammad Wilkerson to notch the 12-sack mark and just the second in the last 15 years. At 25 years old, Williams is considered one of the rising superstars on the defensive side of the football.
Williams finished ahead of fellow New York football players like Dexter Lawrence (6th) and Leonard Williams (honorable mention). He is slated to be a free agent after the 2023 season but negotiations continue between the Jets and their top defensive player.
