In terms of the most important free agent losses the Atlanta Falcons endured this offseason, David Onyemata has to be near the top of the list. He may not be Kaden Elliss in terms of his impact on defense, but Onyemata was someone who consistently made the unit better when he's on the field.
Onyemata was the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Falcons' defensive line rotation. His role was to mentor the younger defensive tackles like Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison so when he inevitably left in free agency, Atlanta had a plan in place, and now he's set to take on a similar role with a brand new team.
You can hardly be surprised that the 33-year-old left in free agency, especially considering the team he signed with. He cashed in on a one-year deal worth $10.5 million with the New York Jets, reuniting him with Aaron Glenn, the coach that he said changed his life. But that could be a two-way street.
David Onyemata is already accomplishing what the Jets signed him for
Onyemata is one of many floor-raising free agent additions the Jets made on the defensive side of the football, as they also brought in the likes of Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Engabare, Nahshon Wright, and DeMario Davis. It makes sense after all. The Jets are in desperate need of veteran leadership.
The Jets need guys make an instant impact, and David Onyemata is the type of player than any defense in the NFL has a need for. He may be turning 34 in November, but he's quietly been one of the league's most productive defensive tackles over the years, and 2025 was another solid season.
Across his three seasons in Atlanta, Falcons fans knew Onyemata as a plenty impactful run defender who was one of the more impactful locker room leaders the team had. And so far, the early returns on his Jets tenure is that he's offering them the same thing he offered the Falcons these last few years.
Earlier this offseason, Davis labeled Onyemata as one of the five best run defenders he's ever played with, and the numbers prove that. He had a 4.8% missed tackle rate last season, which was one of the best totals in the NFL, and having another top-ten grade in run defense should back that claim up.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound beast started all 17 games for the Dirty Birds last season, and had a good season. He received a 78.2 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked eighth out of 134 qualified interior defensive linemen, while his 74.2 run defense grade was also eighth-best.
We know the 2016 fourth-round pick is plenty productive when he's on the field, but this all comes back to veteran leadership. The Jets have a group of young defensive tackles in Jowon Briggs, T'Vondre Sweat, and Darrell Jackson Jr. that should benefit from Onyemata's mentorship--and he'll keep producing on Sundays.
There's a reason that Justin Fried of The Jet Press called him the Nigerian Nightmare. He may not be racking up All-Pro nominations, but year after year, David Onyemata has been one of the NFL's more productive DTs so, the Jets are getting an under-appreciated player (and leader) in the ex-Falcon.
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