David Onyemata is a veteran defensive tackle who signed with the New York Jets in 2026 after a strong run-defense season in Atlanta.
Onyemata, a Nigerian native who played college football at the University of Manitoba in Canada, was a fourth-round pick by the Saints in 2016. He spent seven seasons in New Orleans before joining the Falcons, where he played through 2025. In March 2026 he signed with the Jets, reuniting with head coach Aaron Glenn from their New Orleans days.
Path to the league
Onyemata took an unusual path, learning football at the University of Manitoba before the Saints selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. He spent his first seven NFL seasons in New Orleans, overlapping with future Jets head coach Aaron Glenn for five of them. He later signed with the Falcons, where he spent his most recent seasons.
Career highlights
Onyemata has built his reputation as one of the league's better interior run defenders. He chose the Jets in 2026 on a one-year, $10.5 million deal, drawn in part by his familiarity with Glenn. Teammates and coaches in New York have praised his run-stopping ability, per Jets coverage.
2025 season
Onyemata spent the 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons. Per Jets coverage citing Pro Football Focus, his 74.2 run-defense grade ranked seventh-best among defensive tackles with at least 200 snaps against the run. He signed with the Jets in March 2026 to join an interior group that includes Jowon Briggs and T'Vondre Sweat.
Sources
- Jets X-Factor: Jets sign defensive tackle David Onyemata
- ESPN: David Onyemata player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | falcons | 17 | 62 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | falcons | 17 | 45 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | falcons | 14 | 50 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022 | saints | 17 | 43 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | saints | 11 | 34 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | saints | 15 | 44 | 20 | 6.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 | saints | 15 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | saints | 16 | 35 | 23 | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | saints | 16 | 38 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | saints | 16 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Manitoba
- Hometown
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Age
- 33
- Status
- active
