Quincy Williams

From a JAX cut at age 24 to a Pro Bowl LB by 27 — 5 years a Jets starter built on TFL volume.

Quincy was a 3rd-rounder of the Jaguars in 2019 (older brother of Quinnen Williams, same draft, same first round). After 2 forgettable years in Jacksonville, the Jets claimed him on waivers in 2021. He became their most consistent off-ball LB, with 5 straight years of 8+ TFLs and back-to-back 15 and 14 TFL seasons in 2023-24.

15 TFLs in 2023 — 8th among ALL LBs, ahead of Bobby Wagner, Roquan Smith and Fred Warner.

Williams' 2023 was the breakout — 15 TFLs and 123 combined tackles earned him a Second-Team All-Pro nod and his first Pro Bowl. Among pure off-ball linebackers (filtering out the edge converts above him on the list), he was effectively the #1 in TFL behind Lavonte David.

He followed with 14 TFLs in 2024 — only Frankie Luvu (14) and a handful of edges matched the pace.

61 career TFLs and 10 forced fumbles — among the most disruptive off-ball LBs of the 2020s.

61 TFLs across 5 seasons as a Jets starter is a near-elite pace. Add the 10 forced fumbles — Quincy hits the ball, not just the runner — and the profile is closer to a defensive end's splash chart than a typical MIKE's.

The one gap: only 2 career INTs despite 28 PDs. He arrives, but he doesn't catch.

2 sacks in 4 years on JAX — 12.5 sacks in 5 years on NYJ. Saleh's scheme turned him into a blitzer.

The Jaguars used Quincy in deep zone hook drops; the Jets weaponized him as a B-gap blitzer. Sack rate went from 0 per 12 games (JAX) to 1 per 6.2 games (NYJ) — and the TFLs followed.

The contract he signed in 2024 (3 years, $18M) bought 2 more years of that production at off-ball-LB market rates.

2025 saw the TFL number cut in half — but the sack number went UP to a career high.

Through 13 games of 2025, Williams' line reads: 81 combined tackles, 8 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 7 PDs, 0 FFs. The TFL count is on pace for ~11 — well below his 2023-24 average of 14.5 — but the 3.5 sacks already exceed any prior single-season total.

A new defensive coordinator (Aaron Glenn → Steve Wilks → 2025: a defensive overhaul under HC Aaron Glenn) means more pass-rush deployment and fewer downhill TFL chances. The role is mutating; the production has shifted columns.