Jets attempt to bolster defensive line with two trades in same day, adding Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs

The New York Jets made two moves Wednesday to bolster their defensive line. The team announced a trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire Jowon Briggs and a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-rounder. And according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets are set to complete another trade to bring in Harrison Phillips from the Minnesota Vikings. They will ship two sixth-round picks (one in 2026 and one in 2027) to Minnesota in exchange for the defensive tackle and a 2027 seventh-rounder.

Phillips, 29, is the headliner of the two acquisitions. He is a seven-year veteran who started all 17 games for the Vikings in each of his three years with the franchise. In that time, he racked up a total of 207 tackles, 6.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. It was by far the most productive stretch of his career after he made just 11 starts across four years with the Buffalo Bills.

Phillips peaked in 2023 when he racked up 92 stops, marking a career high by a sizable margin. He is a former third-round pick who picked up first-team All-Pac-12 honors at Stanford before he embarked on what has become a solid NFL tenure.

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Briggs, meanwhile, joins the Jets with just one year of pro ball under his belt. The 23-year-old appeared in six games for the Browns last year and accumulated 13 tackles with one for loss and a fumble recovery. Briggs landed in the NFL as a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Cincinnati.

The active day on the trade market signals the Jets' desire to shore up the depth on their defensive interior. Quinnen Williams headlines a unit that finished 17th in the NFL last season against the run, but questions about the options behind him led New York to become a buyer ahead of final roster cutdowns.

Phillips could be a candidate to start next to Williams given his track record in Minnesota and the lack of surefire options in the Jets' defensive front. He has two years remaining on his contract after he signed a $15 million extension with the Vikings. Briggs projects as more of a depth piece who could develop into a rotation player. He is under contract for the 2025 season on a $960,000 salary.

The Jets added a number of linemen this offseason prior to Wednesday's acquisitions, nearly entirely revamping the unit. The haul included Byron Cowart, Jay Tufele, Derrick Nnadi and Phidarian Mathis. They also picked up undrafted free agents Payton Page and Fatorma Mulbah.