Jets trade Jermaine Johnson before the NFL Scouting Combine has instantly reshaped the conversation around New York’s draft plan — and it puts the No. 2 overall pick under a brighter spotlight. The Jets agreed to send Jermaine Johnson II to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, a rare February swap that cannot be finalized until the new league year opens on March 11.
The timing is the headline. With the Combine underway and draft boards tightening, the Jets moved a former first-round edge rusher and replaced him with one of the league’s biggest interior bodies, a shift that looks like a deliberate roster re-balance — and a possible signal about the premium they may be preparing to spend at the top of the draft.
A rare February deal, and why it matters
Offseason trades happen, but major player-for-player exchanges in late February are unusual because so much of the league’s machinery is still waiting for the calendar to flip. This one is different. It’s a clean positional trade that addresses clear weaknesses for both teams and does it early enough to influence free agency and draft strategy.
New York adds immediate mass and run-stopping presence with Sweat: a 6-foot-4, 366-pound interior anchor who can eat double teams and clog rushing lanes. Tennessee, meanwhile, gets a proven edge option in Johnson, a pass rusher with 13.0 sacks across his four seasons with the Jets and a Pro Bowl season on his résumé.
What the Titans are buying with Jermaine Johnson
The Titans’ defensive line already features star tackle Jeffery Simmons, but pressure off the edge has been the missing ingredient. Johnson gives them a swing at a full rebound season after a frustrating stretch that included a 2024 injury that limited him to just two games. Even last year, when he returned, he “never seemed right” compared with his peak stretch.
The reunion angle is real, too. Johnson is heading to Tennessee under new Titans head coach Robert Saleh, who was in New York when the Jets used a first-round pick on him in 2022 and later watched him earn that Pro Bowl nod in 2023 with 7.5 sacks.
For Tennessee, this isn’t just a talent bet — it’s a scheme and relationship bet. Saleh’s defenses have historically leaned on a steady edge rotation to keep pressure consistent. If Johnson’s explosiveness returns, the Titans suddenly look far more difficult to block on obvious passing downs.
Why the Jets wanted T’Vondre Sweat
The Jets’ move reads like a direct response to a very specific problem: run defense. Sweat’s profile is built for the middle — taking up space, occupying blockers, and forcing runs to bounce. He’s not being acquired to rack up gaudy sack totals, even though he has three sacks in his first two seasons. His value is in what he allows everyone else to do.
When you add a true nose presence, it can stabilize the entire front. Linebackers stay cleaner. Interior gaps become harder to exploit. And opponents have fewer “easy” rushing answers when the game script is tight. In the AFC, where physical teams can still shorten games on the ground, a massive interior plugger can be a weekly advantage.
Is the No. 2 pick now pointing to an edge rusher
This is the question everyone will ask all week in Indianapolis: if New York trades away an edge rusher right before the Combine, are they clearing space for a premium rookie at the same position?
The logic is straightforward. Johnson had already been viewed as a trade candidate, and moving him now makes it easier to justify spending the No. 2 overall pick on a pass rusher without creating a crowded depth chart or salary/role tensions. It also resets the timeline: rookies are cheaper, controllable, and can be built into a defense over multiple seasons.
But it doesn’t lock the Jets into one outcome. A top pick can be used to chase elite pressure, to fortify another premium position, or to trade down if the board breaks unpredictably. What this deal does is increase the probability that New York is positioning itself for a high-impact edge addition — because that’s the cleanest way to replace Johnson’s role and keep the defense disruptive.
How the trade could ripple into free agency
For Tennessee, dealing Sweat opens up more flexibility — and arguably more urgency — along the defensive line. The Titans have money to spend, and swapping out a young nose tackle for an edge rusher can foreshadow additional moves on the interior. The roster math now invites the idea of adding another proven lineman through free agency to complement Simmons and support the edge rotation.
For New York, adding Sweat could change the kind of edge rusher they target, whether in the draft or free agency. A sturdier interior can free up edge defenders to play more aggressively and attack upfield, knowing the middle isn’t as vulnerable to quick-hit runs.
What happens next, and the key date to watch
The deal is agreed, but it isn’t official yet. The trade cannot be completed until the new league year begins on March 11. Between now and then, the Combine will set narratives and medical evaluations will matter. Once the calendar flips, the Jets and Titans can formally process the swap and move into the free-agency window with a clearer picture of what they still need to buy and what they can draft.
For the full report on the agreement and timing, see the original NFL Network write-up here on NFL.com.
