This was in the middle of a conversation with Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley on Tuesday before Thursday night’s game against the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium.

It was such a casual, throwaway line that it didn’t even elicit a follow-up question.

Mosley had been asked about the growth and impact of 25-year-old Quinnen Williams, the newly minted Pro Bowl defensive tackle who returned from a calf injury against the Jaguars on Thursday night.

“He’s one of the leaders on this team, soon to be captain — I already know,” Mosley said. “He’s just one of those guys that you don’t really see [lead] at that young of an age. Obviously, his talent is great, but off the field he’s even better.”

In 13 games this season, Williams, who was the third-overall pick in the 2019 draft, has 11 sacks.

He recorded 13 sacks in 28 games the past two seasons, which were considered pretty productive. Williams this season also has 12 tackles for a loss, 23 quarterback hits, three batted passes, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

In short, Williams has become a force. And he’s a force the Jets have been missing for the better part of the past two games.

Williams had two sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits against the Bills in the first quarter when he suffered a calf injury that knocked him out of the game, a 20-12 loss at Buffalo. He then missed last week’s 20-17 home loss to the Lions.

The common denominator to those two games and the one before it is the Jets’ failure to produce a single turnover on defense. Not coincidentally, they’ve lost all three games, and they’ve desperately missed Williams.

“He’s impossible to replace because he’s playing at such an elite level,’’ Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “But we do have tremendous depth in that group. We’ve got guys that obviously have played a lot of football. It’s another benefit to our rotation that we have on our defensive line, that a lot of guys play, a lot of guys have game experience.’’

The Jets do, indeed, have a strong and deep defensive line corps. But they have only one Quinnen Williams, who’s not only grown on the field but off of it as well as a leader.

“We know what he brings to the table in the run game and the passing game, just his presence on the field,” Mosley said. “We believe in our defensive line room. [But] him not being out there, obviously there is a void with him being the big guy and having the year he’s had.’’

Mosley, who is a team captain along with quarterback Zach Wilson and special teams leader Justin Hardee, said he’s been taken aback as much by Williams’ play on the field as he has his leadership off of it.

“The growth he’s had, off the field he’s been great,’’ Mosley said. “Just hearing his voice so much this year, that’s meant a lot — not only for our team and our defense, but for him as well believing in himself, believing that he has the right attitude and the right mindset to drive our defense, to drive the defensive line room and build us up and take off.’’

Jets head coach Robert Saleh has spoken several times this season about Williams, saying, “Quinnen is playing at a different level.”

So, the Pro Bowl came as no surprise.

And neither should that impending captaincy to which Mosley referred.