With Will McDonald appearing on the Jets injury report, we examine a half-dozen of New York’s other defenders who are worth the price of admission.

There are no ‘easy games’ in the NFL. It’s hard to convince fans and the media of that, but it’s something the oddsmakers and sportsbooks in Vegas know well. Have you noticed some of the lines in these Baltimore Ravens games? Have you noticed they aren’t as broad as the ones we see at the NCAA level?

The point is that every NFL team has NFL players on its roster. The results of each franchise’s season don’t diminish that. Truth be told, the Ravens should beat the New York Jets, but if they sleepwalk, they won’t like the results.

The Jets have some ballers, especially on defense. They don’t have as many as they used to after trading away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. Will McDonald IV was a non-participant in Jets practice on Wednesday before being limited on Thursday. If he plays, he should be noted, but either way, New York has some talent on Steve Wilks’ defense. Here are a half-dozen who come to mind.

Jamien Sherwood, linebacker

Here’s one of the more underrated players in the game today. Entering this contest, Jamien Sherwood leads the Jets in both total (89) and solo tackles (43). That includes five tackles-for-loss. Add that to a sack and five pass breakups. He’s been balling.

Brandon Stephens, cornerback

We move from a subradar star with potential to a guy we all know a little better. Brandon Stephens spent his first four seasons with the Ravens before joining the Jets during the offseason. He’s a former third-rounder who has notched 58 starts in total, ten this season. That has produced 52 tackles and seven pass breakups.

Malachi Moore, safety

The Ravens have a talented safety in Malaki Starks. The Jets have one of their own in Malachi Moore. Both were excellent during their time in the SEC. Moore was a fourth-rounder this past April and has started seven of the Jets’ first ten games, adding 45 tackles and two pass breakups to the team’s bottom line.

Jowon Briggs, defensive tackle

With Quinnen Williams gone, Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips are the only remaining interior defensive linemen on the Jets’ roster who have managed a sack. They have two sacks and a half-sack respectively. This team doesn’t have many, 18 in total. The rest have come from the linebacker corps (3.5) and the edge rushers (11). McDonald has produced seven of the latter tally.

Jermaine Johnson, EDGE

Jermaine Johnson is listed as a linebacker, but he is one of the Jets’ best edge rushers. He owns three sacks already this season. Add five additional QB hits and a pass breakup to his regular-season tally. He is a special player.

Tony Adams, safety

The Jets haven’t picked off a single pass this season, not one. Brandon Stephens and Jamien Sherwood, with their 12 combined pass breakups, may be getting close.

With Andre Cisco on the IR, keep an eye on Tony Adams, New York’s free safety. He has gotten his hands on the ball to break up four pass attempts. He has also chipped in with 35 tackles, including two for loss. He isn’t afraid to stick his head in and play physically.