Determined to fix one of the weakest positions in 2019, Joe Douglas went out and built an arsenal of defensive backs to leave no stone unturned.
The Jets currently have nine cornerbacks and seven safeties on the roster after free agency, the draft and undrafted free agent signings. They won’t keep all 16 players, but they’ll have a wealth of talent to evaluate and options to build the perfect secondary. Some of those players will start, others will be cut or added to the practice squad, and one might even be traded away to give way for younger players.
Safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye are virtual locks to make the team as starters alongside cornerbacks Pierre Desir, Brian Poole and Bless Austin. They all have experience and all performed well recently. Third-round pick Ashytn Davis will also have a role to play as a versatile safety for Gregg Williams, and fifth-round rookie Bryce Hall will make the team if he’s healthy. He could, however, be a PUP candidate, much like Austin was in 2019.
Adam Gase kept six cornerbacks and three safeties on the roster last season, so by the earlier estimation that leaves about one safety and two cornerback spots left on the team. This is where critical decisions come into play.
The Jets were ravaged by injury and poor play at cornerback in 2019, so it would be smart for New York to keep a deep bench in case. But they’ll need to choose between a couple of experienced starters – Arthur Maulet, Nate Hairston and Quincy Wilson – and two undrafted free agents – Lamar Jackson and Javelin Guidry – to fill out the rest of the position group.
Maulet has the inside track after starting and performing well in six games for the Jets in 2019 alongside Austin and Poole. The Jets traded a sixth-rounder for Wilson, who flashed early in his career as a rookie with the Colts but floundered in a scheme change. Hairston, who came over from the Colts last season, sometimes looked good, but he was also benched a few times and couldn’t win the job over Austin or Maulet.
The two UDFAs could be solid contributors for different reasons. Jackson is a big-bodied shutdown corner-type, while Guidry is smaller but much faster in coverage. Williams will have an intriguing decision depending on if they want experienced players or young potential at the position.
As for safety, it will all depend on what the Jets do with Maye. Rumors swirled earlier this month that the Jets were shopping Maye, but other reports refuted that claim. If the Jets move Maye before the October trade deadline, that could open up the possibility for at least another safety to make the team or another cornerback with multi-positional ability. UDFA Shyheim Carter, as well as 2019 returnee Bennett Jackson, have the ability to play both cornerback and safety.
The two biggest questions the Jets must answer as they shape their secondary are if they desire experience or potential and if Maye will be a part of the team after this season. Regardless of those answers, the Jets seem to have a lot more options in the backfield of their defense than they did in 2019. That alone is a step in the right direction for the Jets’ defense.