Two Free Agent Defensive Backs the New York Jets Should Still Pursue

While the offseason is almost over, there are still two defensive backs the New York Jets should pursue.

Nov 10, 2022; Munich, Germany; Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs (6) during practice at FC Bayern Munich at Sabener Strabe. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets are heading into training camp as a team that many view as a sleeper Super Bowl contender. After a brutal 2023 campaign, the franchise needs a taste of success.

Aaron Rodgers is set to return from the torn Achilles that he suffered last season. If he can return to his pre-injury form, a Super Bowl is certainly a possibility. The roster around him has also been improved.

Joe Douglas was very aggressive during the NFL offseason. He added talent to both sides of the footbal and also put together a great 2024 NFL Draft class.

Now, the roster is almost set. However, there are still a couple of impact players available on the free agency market.

One area that the Jets could consider upgrading is safety. They have talent, but there are two players still available that woud offer improvement.

Those two players are Quandre Diggs and Justin Simmons.

Simmons, especially, is extremely surprising to see available at this point in the offseason. He has been a star safety with the Denver Broncos for years.

During the 2023 campaign with the Broncos, he racked up 70 total tackles to go along with a sack, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, three interceptions, and eight defended passes. Those numbers would give New York an even better secondary with more playmaking.

Diggs, on the other hand, has recorded 18 interceptions over the last five years and would bring elite playmaking skills to the field. In 2023 with the Seattle Seahawks, the 31-year-old recorded 95 total tackles, an interception, and five defended passes.

Either safety would be a great fit for the Jets. They could both become immediate starters.

Currently, New York has Chuck Clark and Tony Adams as their projected starters at the safety positions. Both players are capable starters, but the Jets could upgrade over that duo with the signing of either Simmons or Diggs.

With how aggressive Douglas was during the early stages of the offseason, it seems likely that he would be open to improving the roster still. He may not view safety as a pressing need, but Simmons and Diggs are both legitimate star-caliber players.

It will be interesting to see where these two free agents end up. New York would be a very good landing spot for either of them if the front office has interest.