A seventh-round pick who started as a true freshman at Virginia before transferring to Cincinnati, Jowon Briggs has become an interior disruptor on the Jets' defensive line.
Jowon Briggs has quietly developed into one of the more productive interior linemen on New York's roster after arriving via trade from Cleveland. Away from the field, the Cincinnati native is also an accomplished musician who plays a dozen instruments and sings tenor.
Path to the league
Briggs started as a true freshman at Virginia in 2019, the first freshman defensive lineman to start a season opener for the program since 1986, before transferring to Cincinnati in 2021. At Cincinnati he served as team captain, earned First-team All-AAC honors in 2022, and was invited to both the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl. The Cleveland Browns selected him in the seventh round (243rd overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Across two seasons at Cincinnati, Briggs recorded 130 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, capping his career as a first-team all-conference performer and defensive captain. He was promoted to Cleveland's active roster in December of his rookie season before the Jets acquired him in a trade on August 20, 2025.
2025 season recap
In his first season in New York, Briggs appeared in 17 games and posted 38 tackles and 4 sacks, emerging as a surprise standout on a Jets defensive line that needed reliable interior pressure. He re-signed with the Jets in March 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jowon Briggs
- ESPN: Jowon Briggs
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | jets | 17 | 38 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | browns | 6 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Cincinnati
- Hometown
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
