What the Trade of a Former First-Round Pick Means for the New York Jets
The New York Jets have made the first legitimate splash of the offseason. It was announced on Thursday morning that the team was sending former 2022 first-round pick Jermaine Johnson to the Titans. The Jets received defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat in return in a rare player-for-player swap. Sweat, a 2024 second-round draft pick, is only 24, and still has two years remaining on his contract.
The trade made sense for both teams. For the Jets, they were heavily lacking in run defenders in 2025, and it showed, as they finished the year as the fourth-worst rushing defense in the NFL. Sweat immediately gives that a boost, as he’s graded out as one of the best run defenders in the league. He’s a massive body that will surely be an excellent fit in the Jets’ new defensive scheme, which is expected to be a 3-4 now that Aaron Glenn has overtaken playcalling duties. Another reason this trade made sense for the Jets is because of the ages and contracts of the players. Johnson, while he has been a decent player, is entering his age 28 season and will be looking for a new contract at the end of the 2026 season. He also hasn’t looked entirely the same since he suffered a major Achilles injury in 2024. While he could certainly return to form now two years removed, it made a lot more sense for the team to acquire a player who’s younger, fits the system better, and doesn’t need to get paid for another two years.
From the Titans’ side of things, Jermaine is a much better fit for their system than Sweat, as they’re switching to a 4-3 now that Robert Saleh is the head coach. Speaking of Saleh, he was the head coach of the Jets when the team traded back into the first round to acquire Johnson back in 2022. Saleh clearly valued Jermaine a lot to bring him in via trade at his next head coaching stop, and Johnson will bring excellent leadership to a team that is looking to reset their culture. The trade looks like it will benefit both teams, as they get exactly what they both needed to help improve their rosters and build their own visions.
