Jets Country

Jets Add 'Sauce' to Secondary; What it Means For New York

The Jets have improved in their defense since the conclusion of last season, but they still have work to do.

Max Goodman

In this story:

After finishing the 2021 season with the worst defense in all of football, and a secondary that was routinely picked apart by opposing aerial attacks, the Jets entered the offseason with a plan.

That started in free agency. New York signed cornerback D.J. Reed along with safety Jordan Whitehead, beginning to strengthen a unit that said goodbye to veteran Marcus Maye. 

They didn't stop there either. With their first of two first-round picks on Thursday night, kicking off the 2022 NFL draft, New York picked Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner.

Even with offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu, EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux and more still on the board, general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh went with a defensive back, considered one of the most talented prospects in this class. 

All of a sudden, a defense that allowed 397.6 yards and 29.6 points per game a year ago is significantly improved. Mix those three defensive backs with the young corners New York already has—Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II and more—and the back end of this defense is poised to take a big step forward in 2022.

Gardner didn't allow a single touchdown over three years at Cincinnati. He had nine interceptions and 16 passes defended over three years in a Bearcats uniform. He's the type of player that New York can count on against top wide receivers—that's especially pertinent for Gang Green in a division with star wideouts like Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs and DeVante Parker.

New York still has plenty of holes to fill, on both sides of the ball. For a team looking to finally return to relevancy and compete in a league driven by quarterbacks, however, these moves have the makings of something special.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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