Robert Saleh remains committed to the Jets’ current cornerback group.
Despite the unit’s youth and inexperience, Saleh believes the Jets have the right collection of players already on the roster. He’s already said he doesn’t want to rush to add a veteran who would “eat up reps” for younger players. Now he’s preaching patience as the group learns a new defense.
“They’re growing,” Saleh said Friday. “It’s a learning curve. With coach [Gregg] Williams a year ago it was more of a Cover-2 base and we’re here with a more single-high base, so they’re being asked to learn completely new techniques.”
Blessuan Austin and Bryce Hall are the likely starters and backups Javelin Guidry, Lamar Jackson and Corey Ballentine could make the team as well after playing in 2020. That group has a combined 35 starts between them.
The rest of the group is made up of first-year players like late-round picks Jason Pinnock, Michael Carter II and Brandin Echols or undrafted free agent Isaiah Dunn. The average age of cornerbacks on the Jets roster is just 24 years old, which would make the group one of the youngest in the league.
Saleh isn’t worried about any of this just yet, though. He apparently likes what he’s seen so far in practice to stay content with the current depth chart. Saleh did say the team will re-evaluate the position after next week’s mandatory minicamp, but for now, the team wouldn’t add new bodies to the group.
“It’s an opportunity for them to continue to grow,” Saleh said. “They still have two more minicamps obviously and then from there we’ll sit down, reassess, see where we’re at.
“As of now, the focus is just on them.”
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