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New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood trying to make a play during an NFL game against the New Orleans Saints.
The New York Jets curiously did not take a linebacker during the 2026 NFL draft.
Joe Caporoso, co-host of “Badlands”, is pushing the team to fill what is the biggest remaining hole on the roster post draft.
“Linebacker, the No. 1 spot that they could use another addition. You’re bringing back Jamien Sherwood off a very tough season. Can he bounce back, play next to Demario Davis, [that is] very TBD. Demario Davis was a new signing. You look at your backups, and it’s pretty underwhelming in terms of guys who could start or play meaningful reps. They brought back Mykal Walker, who was a special teamer who played a lot down the stretch last year. Kiko [Francisco Mauigoa] played a little bit, and then he got hurt. He is kind of limited on when you can play him on defense because of his lack of mobility. [Marcelino] McCrary-Ball is here; he was a special teams captain. You don’t feel great when he is playing a lot of reps on defense,” Caporoso explained.
“So to have Sherwood and those three as your top backups, man… Just get someone with a little more experience because Demario Davis, we are excited about him, but he is 37 [years of age]. He could miss some time this year. You don’t want to be starting Sherwood and Kiko. Teams will find a way to exploit that, and all the other nice work you did on the defense could go to waste. So if I’m the Jets, I’d love to get one more meaningful addition at linebacker,” Caporoso added.
One of Two Things Happened
The fans thought the linebacker spot was a position of need, but did the team?
Last year, fans thought the team needed defensive tackle help beyond Quinnen Williams, but the team didn’t make a meaningful addition at the position in free agency, nor did they draft one. They eventually changed their mind and made a pair of additions right before the season via trade.
If the team doesn’t think that linebacker is a position of need, then it makes sense they didn’t add somebody.
Or perhaps they had a linebacker addition in mind during the draft, but they got sniped. I attended the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. There was a lot of speculation that the Jets wanted Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. He was taken with the No. 43 overall pick in the second round by the Miami Dolphins.
That was just one pick before the Jets were on the clock. Suddenly, the Jets traded back from pick No. 44 to pick No. 50 in the second round. Coincidence? I think not.
The Jets Should Still Add an Insurance Policy
Even if the Jets are higher on some in-house options as opposed to some fans, they should still add depth just in case.
There are still an array of veteran options that are available in the latter stages of free agency:
If any injuries occurred, the Jets would have a line of protection for one of their weaker positional units on the team. As we continue to get deeper into the offseason the prices on these proven veterans will only continue to drop making them an even bigger bargain.
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.
