
#55 DE · New York Jets
Height
6'6"
Weight
267 lbs
Age
24
College
Michigan
Draft
Undrafted
Experience
2 yrs
DE Rank
#110 / 161
Grade this player:
| Year | Team | GP | Sacks | Tkl | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | ![]() | 19 | 1.0 | 21 | 1.5 |
| 2025 | ![]() | 12 | 1.0 | 15 | 0.5 |
| 2024 | ![]() | 7 | 0.0 | 6 | 1 |
Length
3 years
Total Value
$2.9M
Guaranteed
$220K
AAV
$950K/yr
The Jets pulled off a legitimate steal with Braiden McGregor, earning an A CVI on a bargain-basement deal that represents exceptional value at the position. Locking up a depth piece defensive end for just $0.9M annually is shrewd roster construction, especially when you consider how expensive pass rush help typically costs in free agency — even rotational edge defenders usually command $3-4M per year in today's market. The three-year structure with minimal guaranteed money ($0.2M) gives New York incredible flexibility while betting on McGregor's development potential at a price point that makes him nearly untradeable. This is the type of low-risk, high-reward contract that championship teams use to build depth without sacrificing cap space for premium positions. Even if McGregor remains purely a rotational contributor, the Jets are paying backup money for backup production — a formula that works every time and allows them to allocate resources elsewhere on the roster.
Braiden McGregor is a second-year defensive end with the Jets still searching for consistent NFL-level production through 19 career games. At just 24, he remains a developmental prospect, but the runway for patience is narrowing with each underwhelming performance. His current grade of D reflects a player who hasn't yet translated physical tools into on-field impact. The numbers are difficult to defend: McGregor is generating just 0.08 sacks per game, a fraction of the NFL average of 0.34 and far below the elite threshold of 0.68. His tackles for loss rate of 0.04 per game is equally alarming against a league average of 0.30, suggesting he's rarely disrupting backfield action. Graded F in both 2024 and 2025, there's no upward trend to point to — consistency of struggle is its own concerning signal. McGregor needs a meaningful statistical leap next season to remain a viable roster option beyond a depth role. If he can't approach league-average disruption rates, comparisons to fringe contributors like 2022-era Yannick Ngakoue backups become more apt than any breakout story. Watch his pass-rush win rate and motor in training camp — those will signal whether a genuine jump is coming.
Braiden McGregor enters the 2026 offseason as one of the more scrutinized depth pieces on the New York Jets defensive line, having struggled to carve out a consistent role across his first two NFL seasons. His production remains minimal, with just one career sack and no forced turnovers, leaving him with little statistical capital to counter a wave of critical evaluations from the analytics community. PFF's repeated inclusion of McGregor among the Jets' lowest-graded defensive players in 2025 has cemented a narrative of underperformance that will be difficult to shake heading into the new league year. The 'free agency loser' label further signals that the market has not rewarded his development trajectory, raising legitimate questions about his roster security at the professional level. Without a significant performance breakthrough or a clear role expansion in 2026, McGregor faces an uphill battle to improve his standing among both media evaluators and the Jets' own decision-makers.
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Recent seasons are weighted more heavily in the overall performance grade.
F
2025
(50% weight)
F
2024
(30% weight)