The Jets might have drafted Michael Carter II and Brandin Echols with an eye on upgrading their nickel cornerback position, but there is a chance the answer New York is looking for at the position was already on the roster.
Javelin Guidry was not given much of a chance to make a 53-man roster when the Jets scooped him up as an undrafted free agent last offseason. Guidry’s elite speed got him to the NFL, but there were concerns surrounding his slight 5-foot-9 frame and coverage skills.
Guidry quickly eased those concerns and worked his way onto New York’s practice squad and then its active roster. Less than a month after joining the 53-man roster, Guidry found himself not only lining up as the Jets’ starting nickel corner with Brian Poole injured, but also producing at an impressive clip.
That production makes Guidry the favorite to win the starting nickel corner job in Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense entering training camp. The Jets have not to re-signed Poole and do not seem keen on adding a veteran cornerback to the mix before training camp. That leaves two inexperienced rookies as Guidry’s main competition in the slot entering the summer.
Guidry does not have any ties to New York’s new regime, but his rookie tape was mostly impressive and Saleh and Ulbrich know talent when they see it. If the Utah product proves he is the best man for the job, the spot will be his — even if Carter II and Echols were handpicked by Gang Green’s defensive staff.
“I understand that every day is an interview,” Guidry said of the Jets’ cornerback competition in an interview with team reporter Eric Allen.
Competition tends to take a player’s game to the next level and all indications are that Guidry is more than ready to duke it out for the starting job throughout training camp and the preseason. Guidry is not exactly a veteran entering just his second NFL season, but he is one of the few cornerbacks on New York’s roster with meaningful game experience.
Instead of taking that as a feather in his cap over his rookie competitors and not approaching this year’s cornerback battle with the same intensity as last year’s, Guidry is once again eager to show everyone in Florham Park what he can do.
“Last spring coming off the combine and then the draft, it was a real long year,” Guidry said. “I’ve just had a real offseason after getting some experience last year. Now it’s a blessing to show what I’ve been working on at home.”
[listicle id=659542]