4. New York Jets
How the mighty have fallen fast.
New York land in the bottom of the secondary groups in the AFC East, and it’s not close. Losing Jamal Adams will hurt this group, but hey, Adam Gase has to find chemistry on the roster somehow. The draft picks acquired in the deal will do well for the next coach and general manager if he doesn’t get his team to turn things around in 2020.
Marcus Maye will lead this group at strong safety, but without Adams, he’s kind of on an island of his own now. He will be joined by Bradley McDougald, who had two interceptions last year. McDougald, acquired in the Adams deal, is an aggressive safety, but he’s not the star that Adams was.
While the safety spot seems to be OK for New York, the cornerback landscape is a bit of a mystery. Pierre Desir comes over from Indianapolis. In 12 games, Desir recorded 50 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 passes defensed last year. The challenge will be if he can take on the No.1 cornerback spot on a consistent basis. A tall ask.
Blessaun Austin, Quincy Wilson, and Arthur Maulet will battle for the starting snaps opposite Desire. Brian Poole will also play in the slot and out wide. The Jets, as part of their secondary transformation, drafted safety Ashtyn Davis in the third-round of the draft.
Perhaps this crew turns some heads in 2020, but on paper, goodness are the other three teams in the division much better than Gang Green.
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