Most that aren’t fully familiar with the Jets’ secondary at least know who Sauce Gardner is and maybe D.J. Reed. Casuals may not know about slot cornerback Michael Carter II. They should at some point because Carter has been one of the best slot corners in the NFL and 2023 is just the latest example.
Pro Football Focus currently has Carter as the No. 1 slot cornerback regarding coverage snaps per reception allowed with 17.1. In other words, Carter allows a reception once out of every 17 snaps he plays in a game. To put that into perspective, Carter played 39 snaps against the Texans, so he would allow just two receptions in that amount of playing time. Not bad for the “third cornerback” on the Jets.
Per PFF, Michael Carter II is No. 1 in the NFL this season with 17.1 slot coverage snaps per reception allowed. @mcarter2nd 🔥🔥
— Caroline Hendershot (@cghendy) December 14, 2023
Carter has allowed just 22 receptions for 171 yards and only one touchdown in 330 coverage snaps. That touchdown came way back in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.
Carter has an overall grade of 74.1, tied with Dallas’ Stephon Gilmore for 21st among cornerbacks in the league. Some teams don’t have a single cornerback in the top 25. The Jets have three — Gardner ranks 5th at 84.3; Reed is 9th at 82.7.
The entire Jets defense has been stellar as usual but Carter is once again showing why he is extremely underrated across the league.