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Former Virginia Tech linebacker Jaden Keller reacting in the middle of a college football game.
The New York Jets have swapped out defenders.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed on social media that the Jets are signing rookie linebacker Jaden Keller. He tried out for the team over the weekend at rookie minicamp.
Hughes said Keller turned some heads during the two-day camp and described him as “versatile and athletic.”
In a corresponding roster move, the Jets parted ways with linebacker Ochaun Mathis.
“Mathis (6-5, 260) signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets in January. A sixth-round selection of the Los Angeles Rams (No. 189 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, Mathis was signed to the Jets’ practice squad last December. He appeared in 8 games during his rookie season with the Rams, was waived by the team in August 2024 and then signed with the Patriots’ practice squad. Mathis appeared in 5 games with New England before he was released and signed to the Eagles’ practice squad. The TCU/Nebraska product appeared in 1 game for Philadelphia in 2024. Last season, Mathis had stints with the Titans’ and the Browns’ practice squads but did not appear in any games. He was released by Cleveland on Dec. 9,” Jets senior reporter Eric Allen wrote in a press release.
A Deep Dive Into Keller
Keller was one of 31 players who tried out for the Jets over the weekend. He is the second of those players to receive a contract to join the 91-man roster.
On Sunday, May 10, the team announced that signed veteran offensive lineman Landon Young, who also tried out for the team.
Keller spent all five of his college football seasons at Virginia Tech. During that time, he appeared in 52 games. With those opportunities, he collected 181 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two pass deflections.
Exactly What the Doctor Ordered
One of the biggest areas of weakness for the Jets following the draft was the off-ball-linebacker position. So any player that can turn heads at camp is worth a kick of the tires.
Now, let’s not put the cart before the horse here. Expectations should be appropriately set for an undrafted free agent who joined the team off a weekend tryout. He will be a competitor in the room, and that’s all you can ask for. If you get anything beyond that, it’s gravy.
What the Jets really need is to get the bang for their buck. They certainly didn’t get it last season with Jamien Sherwood. The talented linebacker received a three-year $45 million contract with $30 million of that guaranteed. That made Sherwood, at the time, one of the top five highest-paid linebackers in the sport.
He didn’t play up to snuff last season. However, there are a few reasons to feel optimistic that he can bounce back in 2026.
Sherwood isn’t running the ship; Demario Davis is. Davis will be wearing the green dot. That means he will be lining everyone up and being the vocal leader this team so desperately needs.
Sherwood, in theory, can do less thinking and more playing in 2026. For the Jets’ sake, they’re hoping that leads to much better production next season.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
