It’s time to rank the greatest New York Jets defenders of all-time now that Hall of Fame corner Darrelle Revis has called it quits.
Namath, Maynard, Martin, Mangold, Walker, Chrebet, McNeil—the organization that is the NFL’s New York Jets showcases more offensive players as its greatest of all-time.
From the legendary hookup that was Joe Namath to Don Maynard to the mid-to-late-1980s with Kenny O’Brien at the helm throwing to his quick boys on the Meadowlands turf, offensive individuals have absolutely gained the upper-hand through the franchise’s first 59 seasons in the NFL.
That doesn’t mean the defensive studs deserve the short end of the stick.
Some, especially one man in Darrelle Revis, who’s recently called it a career, represent some of the very best the NFL’s ever had to offer.
The following is a ranking of the greatest New York Jets defenders in the history of the organization.
Notables (21)
- John Abraham (EDGE, 2000-05)
- Marvin Jones (LB, 1993-2003)
- Marvin Washington (DL, 1989-1996)
- Al Atkinson (LB, 1965-74)
- David Harris (LB, 2007-2016)
- Abdul Salaam (DT, 1976-83)
- Ralph Baker (LB, 1964-74)
- James Hasty (CB, 1988-94)
- Bill Baird (DB, 1963-69)
- Dainard Paulson (DB, 1961-66)
- Muhammad Wilkerson (DL, 2011-17)
- Greg Buttle (LB, 2976-84)
- Brian Washington (SS, 1990-94)
- Victor Green (SS, 1993-2001)
- Bobby Jackson (CB, 1978-85))
- Lance Mehl (LB, 1980, 87)
- Erik McMillan (S, 1988-92)
- Darrol Ray (S, 1980-84)
- Burgess Owens (S, 1973-79)
- Dennis Byrd (EDGE, 1989-92)
- Johnny Sample (CB, 1966-68)
I just could not place John Abraham in the top 10. I’m sorry.
As the 13th overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, Abraham played both 3-4 outside backer and 4-3 defensive end in racking up 53.5 sacks in New York which places him third on the all-time organizational list. In reality—due to the fact the sack category didn’t start as an official stat until the early 1980s—Abraham isn’t third. Still, that 53.5 number looks pretty damn good considering he only played 73 games for the Jets.
And that’s the main reason Abraham, as talented as he was, doesn’t make the top 10. He only dressed for 73 games in six seasons. The man was always hurt and could rarely be counted upon. Don’t allow the idea the franchise hasn’t been able to replace him since he took his act to Atlanta automatically prop him up a bit.
No argument would be put forth if Abraham made the top 10, but the highest number he could be slotted in as is at No. 8 or 9. Regardless, here at ESNY, reliability counts for a lot. Abraham fits in the top 10 as it relates to “talent,” but not as it relates to Jets overall greatness.
Other tough notables who didn’t make the top 10 cut include inside linebacker Marvin Jones, edge man Marvin Washington and old-school linebacker Al Atkinson. Another tough snub is strong safety Victory Green who currently ranks tied for fourth all-time in interceptions (24) and fifth in tackles (610). He was simply such an awful cover safety (hello 1998 AFC Championship game) that he belongs in the notables.
(Yes, as much as it pains most fans to glance at, Muhammad Wilkerson was good enough for a decent amount of time to make the notables list.)
Now let’s get on to the big show, the top 10 New York Jets defenders in franchise history:
10. Shaun Ellis (DL, 2000-10)
One of the defenders who beats out Abraham is one of his long-time teammates, Shaun Ellis.
Abraham was named to three Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro with the Jets in six seasons. Ellis was only named to two Pro Bowls over 11 long seasons. At the end of the day, however, Ellis is the more reliable, heart-driven player whose play and ferocity engrained his name within the team’s culture much more than his talented teammate who racked up the sacks.
Ellis played 170 games for the green and white, ranking him sixth all-time. Better yet, he missed only six games over the course of that 11-year span while playing both the edge and along the interior within two different base defenses (starting 3-4, moving to the 4-3 and then back to the 3-4 again).
Ellis ranks second in Jets history with 72.5 sacks.
9. Kyle Clifton (LB, 1984-1996)
Another candidate who could be argued should sit behind John Abraham is the man whose name sits atop the all-time tackle leaderboard.
Kyle Clifton racked up 1,468 career tackles in 13 seasons with the team (mainly 11 as his final two seasons were of the special teams variety only). Drafted in the third round out of TCU, Clifton entered the second level of a defense that featured the New York Sack Exchange upfront.
Never a Pro Bowler, Clifton is that Wayne Chrebet-type Jet who represents the defensive side of the football. A fan favorite forever.
8. Aaron Glenn (CB, 1994-2001)
When the New York Jets selected Texas product Aaron Glenn with the 12th overall pick in 1994, the Pete Carroll-led squad expected two things:
- A shutdown cover-corner
- An electric punt returner
Struggling to even field punts during preseason play took away one electric aspect to his game yet Glenn finished his career as the second greatest corner in franchise history with two Pro-Bowl nods and 24 interceptions, good enough for tied for fourth in team history.
7. Marty Lyons (DL, 1979-89)
It’s time for the New York Sack Exchange to get moving.
There was Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko, of course, but Marty Lyons played as a severely underrated defensive lineman his entire career. His 29 total sacks in 147 games mean nothing. Lyons was even more efficient as a run-stopper from both the interior and edge spots.
His hard-nosed play and versatility get him to the No. 7 spot.
6. Mo Lewis (LB 1991-2003)
From No. 7 to 6 is where the first drop off a cliff happens as there is no arguing these top six players (in any fashion you’d like to sort it out).
Mo Lewis is a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time First-Team All-Pro linebacker who played at his height when Bill Parcells was in town. He was a complete linebacker in every sense of the word.
As a true outside backer in a 4-3, Lewis could also play inside and even along the edge in the 3-4 and did so when Parcells brought the 3-4 in 1997. His 52.5 sacks rank fourth in franchise history. His solo 1,006 tackles rank second. (According to the Jets themselves, David Harris ranks second with 1,260 total tackles. According to Pro Football Reference, Mo Lewis is No. 2, Marvin Jones is No. 3 and Harris is No. 4 in the solo tackle category.) His 14 interceptions rank 22nd. His 13 fumble recoveries rank third among defensive players.
5. Gerry Philbin (EDGE, 1964-72)
Just how many sacks did Gerry Philbin snag during his nine-year Jets career?
We don’t know. What we do know is that during the 14-game 1968 Super Bowl-winning season, Philbin pulled down an amazing 19 sacks (unofficially). This number puts him at a 1.36 sack per game average and is almost identical to Mark Gastineau’s 1.38 rate (22 sacks in 16 games) in 1984.
He was also a tremendous leader of the organization’s only championship team alongside Larry Grantham.
4. Mark Gastineau (EDGE, 1979-88)
If only he didn’t dance like that. Perhaps he could have salvaged a few points for the retired version of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Don’t get me wrong, Jets fans and others loved and still do love Mark Gastineau. In a way, he was simply ahead of his time (in terms of the silly celebrating). Whether you like him or not, his production on the field cannot be questioned.
Officially, Gastineau leads the Jets with 74 sacks. Unofficially, he collected an incredible 107.5 in 107 career games (as he played three seasons prior to 1982, the first season the sack become an official statistic). That 1981 season turned out as the breakthrough campaign for Gastineau and the New York Sack Exchange. Gastineau finished with 20 (unofficially) while the entire four-man Jets front combined for a ridiculous 66 sacks.
Gastineau then led the league in sacks back-to-back in 1983 and 1984 with 19 and 22 sacks respectively. His 22-sack season stood as an NFL record until Micheal Strahan found a falling down Brett Favre decades later.
A five-time Pro Bowler, three-time First-Team All-Pro and 1982 NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year is the New York Jets most feared pass rusher of all-time.
3. Larry Grantham (LB, 1960-72)
It’s funny. The man who ranks nowhere near the top of the leaderboard in tackles may be the greatest New York Jets linebacker of all-time.
Larry Grantham is a Super Bowl champion. He was the leader of Joe Namath’s defense. It’s not his fault tackles and sacks weren’t recorded during his time.
Grantham finished with 24 interceptions along with five Pro Bowl nods and five First-Team All-Pro (AFL) team spots. Until further notice, Grantham remains the greatest Jets linebacker in team history.
2. Darrelle Revis (CB, 2007-12, 2015-16)
And then there were two with the newly retired Darrelle Revis representing the No. 2 defensive player in New York Jets history.
Don’t take the following comment lightly: the 2008 to 2011 version of Revis goes down as, arguably, the greatest cover-corner in NFL history. At his height, only Deion Sanders can possibly dream about competing with him as a pure cover corner. Better yet, Revis never shied away from contact. He was always a physical corner looking to lay a lick (which had many believing he’d transition nicely to safety like Charles Woodson did).
Revis currently stands third in Jets history with 25 interceptions and first with 111 pass deflections. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro with the green and white who’ll skate into Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame once eligible.
He should have also walked away with the 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award but was robbed due to statistical ignorance (meaning Charles Woodson’s “stats” unfairly beat out Revis’s overall “dominance.”)
1. Joe Klecko (DL, 1977-87)
Yes, it’s Joe Klecko, the greatest New York Jets defender in history.
Why Klecko over Revis? Well, Revis was absolutely the more dominant player over a shorter period of time. Klecko, however, was dominant over a longer, more reliable period of time.
Also—and this is huge—Revis lost points with his negotiating.
Revis and any NFL independent contractor has every right to play hardball pertaining to each’s livelihood. Due to the fact guaranteed money is scarce and the NFL pays out contracts selfishly in the most violent of sports, all players deserve that right.
At the same time, should one take the route, they’ll lose teammate and organization greatness history points. It’s that simple. On top of that, Revis’s second stint was nothing short of grand larceny. It was clear from the get-go he had very little interest in football during his elder years and it was sad considering his mind and violent tackling attitude would have made him a tremendous veteran safety in the league.
Anyway, Klecko—while not in the Hall of Fame—is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro selection. He remains the only man in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl at three different positions (DT, DE, NT).
Though his official stats will show an unimpressive 24 sacks, he’s sacked the quarterback many more times than that. His unofficial 20.5 sacks in 1981 earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Year honors. In addition, the man played anywhere the Jets needed and/or asked him to along the line while he represented one of the greatest all-around and run-stuffing defensive linemen in NFL history.
It’s not an outrage to call Darrelle Revis the greatest in team history, but Joe Klecko is the greatest defender in New York Jets history. He did it much longer with much less fuss.