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Offseason Outlook: Cornerback

Perhaps no position group on the Jets came more as a welcome surprise than the cornerbacks in 2021, overachieving most (meager) preseason expectations to become what was perhaps the most consistent unit on the team overall. The Jets decided to go with a youth movement at the position, only having a single player over the age of 24 at the start of the season on the roster in Justin Hardee Sr., and Hardee is a pure special teamer who only received one defensive snap with the Jets in 2021. The youth movement was meant to develop long term corner options by giving the rookies and second-year vets the chance to get playing time.

It seemed to have worked, as we saw some pretty good play from the corners, though they were largely inconsistent. You'd hope that the experience gives them greater consistency in subsequent seasons, but then again, the Jets' deficient pass rush often put the corners in unwinnable situations anyway. If the Jets are able to improve their pass rush, their coverage could get better and more consistent in 2022. I think that the Jets should upgrade this position if they can, but I think that we have an acceptable starting contingent at present if they don't.

In this entry, I will analyze what the Jets currently have at cornerback and what their options are to improve it in the offseason. The youth movement proved effective this season for development purposes, but the team might not want to totally depend on that development next season when they need to be a competitive team. To paraphrase Maxwell Lord, it's good, but it can be better. Let me begin by analyzing what is good here already.

Feel free to leave your feedback or suggestions below this post.

Not including Justin Hardee or any of the players on future contracts, the Jets currently have five CBs on the roster for 2022. I will examine them in order of 2022 cap hits from highest to lowest.

Bryce Hall, Age 25, 2 Years of Experience

Bryce Hall is probably my favorite player on the Jets right now, as I hated watching him in college playing against my team and often thought "Please do that for the Jets." He was thought to be a potential first round prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft, but Hall decided to return to Virginia for a senior season to try to ensure he'd go in the first round in 2020. It turned out to probably be the wrong decision since he suffered a major ankle injury that put his career in jeopardy, but it worked in the Jets' favor when he fell to them in the 5th round and he managed to not only rehab his ankle to get into playing form, but even serve as a starter once he was recovered. Hall was the only member of the 2020 draft class that I wanted the Jets to draft in my mocks, and I am pleased to see that he's rewarded the Jets' faith in him through two NFL seasons.

In 2021, Hall tallied 79 tackles (66 solo), 0.5 sacks, 4 TFL, 0 FF, 16 PD (tied for 6th-most in the league) and 0 INT. The tackling is perhaps the best part of his game, earning a PFF grade of 86.3 (2nd on the team behind Pinnock on nearly 1,000 more snaps) in that category. Outside of a pair of poor tackling performances against the Saints and Titans (his only 3 missed tackles on the season), he was the defense's most-consistent tackler. His coverage was also good, though PFF's grade of 64.5 probably wouldn't tell you that at just a glance. You do have to consider that he was the 8th-most targeted corner in the league on the worst overall defense. I'm not going to say he was much better than average in coverage (as he really struggled against top tier QBs and even the two rookies on the teams picking higher than the Jets), but I do think that it's better than his overall grade shows.

Hall was the true iron man of the Jets; nobody on the team came close to the 1,216 snaps (1,169 on defense) Hall received except for CJ Mosley (1,193 snaps with 1,069 on defense). He played 100% of the defense's snaps in 7 games, including a stellar performance against the Titans where he played 100 defensive snaps. Playing so much is part of what got him targeted so often, but he still had respectable numbers in coverage as you can tell by his 16 breakups. He didn't have any picks (he let a few slip through his fingers against the Panthers, Falcons, Eagles and Saints that I can remember off the top of my head), so some only view him as a No. 2 corner rather than a true No. 1. I can understand why, as you often associate interceptions with shutdown corners, but improving his ball tracking hopefully wouldn't be as hard as improving his coverage would be.

I don't think you need to worry about his health; the ankle injury he suffered in his senior season was the only injury of his career that caused him to miss games. The Jets drafted him knowing that he might not be able to play at all in his rookie season (there was also some concern that he might never play again during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic when teams weren't allowed to get their own medical examinations on him, which is why he fell as far as he did in the draft with his early round talent), but once he returned halfway through his rookie year, he didn't miss a game. He continued that stretch into his second NFL season with his aforementioned iron man run, so I would hope that it continues in his third NFL season when he hopefully pairs his great durability with greater play.

He accounts for a little under $974 thousand for 2022. Unless he is criminally charged with a heinous felony, there's no world where I'd consider cutting him; he's already playing at a discount and has yet to reach his full potential. I might- keyword might- consider trading him if it was (the major) part of a package to trade for someone who would be a more important player for this team, but it better be either for someone more proven than Hall or for a premium draft pick (no later than the second half of the second round). He's likely to be a starting corner for this team next season, though as the Jets proved with Blessuan Austin, they're not opposed to separating with possible starting players if it serves their purpose.

Michael Carter II, Age 24, 1 Year of Experience

Carter II, despite being the second Michael Carter drafted by the Jets in 2021, did his best to prove that he could have been the first. After spending his college career at Duke splitting time between corner and safety, he entered his rookie season as the Jets' nickel corner. He quickly proved to be a talented player, making some highlight solo tackles early on against the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry (yes really) and Damien Harris while also looking good in coverage (2 breakups in first 4 games, 1 TD allowed all season). Many warmed to him quickly with such early quality play, though his early performances didn't quite hold up over the course of the full season.

In 15 games in 2021 (missed 1 due to injury and 1 due to COVID-19), Carter II tallied 72 tackles (45 solo), 1.0 sack (on Tom Brady), 4 TFL, 0 FF, 5 PD and 0 INT. He definitely looked like a long term starter early on in the season, but he tailed off after the halfway point, particularly in coverage (season grade of 56.0 from PFF) and run defense (season grade of 40.4). I don't know this for certain (haven't been able to find any reports on it), but I believe that he either suffered a concussion at home against the Bills or was at least tested for it in that game (played fewest snaps of the season that day). He definitely did suffer a concussion against the Eagles that cost him the game against the Saints, but without knowing for certain if he suffered another concussion earlier, it's hard to blame injury for his decline. His tackling certainly suffered (6 missed tackles in final 5 games around the confirmed concussion where he'd had 3 in the prior 10 games), but it (64.7) and his pass rush (69.7) were generally good throughout the season.

I expect he will likely resume his role as a starting slot corner next season, though I'm definitely open to having him work with someone else (possibly Javelin Guidry) in the slot to help keep him healthy and fresh. He was good as a pass rusher on blitzes from the slot or even the tackle box, though with the Jets switching to the nickel practically full time with the return and poor play of LB Jarrad Davis, he was likely overexposed to coverage and showed that he probably shouldn't be trusted with man coverage on TEs or RBs (I remember him having some poor plays against Mike Gesicki).

I think Carter II has a definite place on this team in 2022 at his roughly $907 thousand cap hit, though if the Jets decide otherwise, he can be cut for over $245 thousand in savings prior to 6/1. I'm pretty sure that he'll be on this team, though if there's one thing that really holds him back, it's his rather unimpressive special teams work (59.1 grade on 125 special teams snaps). If the Jets bring back Guidry and/or draft a rookie who they like better than Carter as the nickelback, Carter's roster status wouldn't be assured if he doesn't perform as a special teamer. Still, I'm pretty confident that he'd be on the roster barring an injury.

Jason Pinnock, Age 23, 1 Year of Experience

I suppose Pinnock is probably more likely to be a safety for the Jets in 2022, given that they used him as a free safety far more often than a corner and Pinnock himself saying that he considered himself a safety last month. Still, as of right now, I'm considering him a corner, though I definitely want the Jets to move him back. Honestly, Pinnock wasn't really on my radar in the 2021 draft; he made perhaps my all-time favorite college play I've ever seen with his interception against UCF in 2019 in Pitt's thrilling victory (seriously, go watch it if you haven't seen it), but he didn't have a good performance that day due to an injury that the coaches decided to let him play with before finally pulling him after he got burned for two second-half TDs. He also struggled with injuries in 2020, so on the list of Pitt Panthers I wanted the Jets to draft or sign (and believe me, I have a list), Pinnock was pretty low.

That being said, he kind of exceeded expectations in his rookie season. In 12 games in 2021 (8 games with defensive snaps; missed 3 as a healthy scratch and 2 with COVID-19), he tallied 16 tackles (10 solo), 0.0 sacks, 0 TFL, 2 FF, 1 PD and 0 INT. No, those numbers don't pop, but he became a defensive starter at FS in the final three games and had 9 of his tackles (6 solo), his breakup and both forced fumbles in that three-game stretch. PFF gave him an overall grade of 70.4 (best among Jets DBs with at least 200 snaps) thanks to his excellent tackling (87.8 with his only missed tackle coming on special teams) and strong coverage as a safety (62.7 grade for the season, wasn't above 62.3 until the Jaguars game). He also had a great run-defense grade of 89.5, but his only game graded above 64.1 was the Jaguars game, so take that with a pinch of salt.

He was above average on special teams with about one fewer game's worth of special teams snaps than Carter II. He even served as a starting gunner opposite Justin Hardee against the Dolphins and was good, but he committed a boneheaded unnecessary roughness penalty that day that made the Jets take away his role as a starting gunner in the final three games. He might be able to return to being a gunner next season after finding his groove on defense at safety, as he definitely showed his ability to do so against the Dolphins; he just needs to not commit stupid penalties like that one to stay on the field.

Pinnock probably will be on this team at his sub $893 thousand cap hit in 2022. I don't think the Jets should cut him outright and I doubt there's a true trade market for him after only showing what he could do in 3 games, but I also don't think it is wise for the Jets to enter next season expecting Pinnock to be a starting player at either safety or corner. At either spot, he should be able to compete for a job (possibly even competing at slot corner with Carter II), but the Jets shouldn't expect Pinnock's late-season production to carry out over a full season.

Brandin Echols, Age 24, 1 Year of Experience

Echols won the starting job over Blessuan Austin, causing the Jets to outright release him (he spent the 2021 season with Seattle) despite him being the most-experienced corner on the roster. It remains to be seen whether or not that turned out to be the right decision, though with Austin barely playing with the Seahawks, odds are that Echols could turn out to be a better player for the Jets than Austin ever was. He was inconsistent, to put it mildly, but if he shows improvement, he could end up being a good enough starter for this team next season if need be.

In 14 games in 2021 (missing 3 due to a quad injury), Echols tallied 63 tackles (50 solo), 0.0 sacks, 2 TFL, 0 FF, 9 PD and 2 INT (1 returned for a TD). Perhaps Echols will gain some notoriety for being the last man to ever intercept Tom Brady in the regular season (and for getting Brady to autograph the ball he picked), but his coverage was not good for long stretches of the season. He received a season grade of 48.0 in coverage from PFF, and if not for a single stellar performance against the Dolphins (where he had the pick six and received a coverage grade of 93.3), he probably would have graded as the worst coverage corners in the NFL (among those with at least 300 coverage snaps, he's got the 9th-worst coverage grade). He was a very good tackler for most of the season, though he had a ridiculous 5 missed tackles in that same game against the Dolphins that tanks his season grade in that category to 56.5 (had 5 other missed tackles on the season, no others in the same game). His run defense really wasn't good (31.1 season grade), but those concerns are secondary behind those of his coverage.

The quad injury aside, he was fairly consistent with his presence, playing 64% of the Jets' defensive snaps. He was generally targeted fewer times than Bryce Hall (though only slightly so in targets per game), though it appears that Hall was better in coverage than Echols judging by PFF. Based on the season totals, I'd probably say the Bless Austin would have been a better starter (in Austin's 2020 season as a full-time starter, he achieved higher PFF grades in all categories except for tackling), but the Jets decided that Echols had a higher ceiling than Austin and wanted to give him the opportunity to develop on the field. That's fine, but this isn't exactly the play you want from a starting corner. You can live with it if you improve your pass rush, but if the Jets are able to upgrade their CB room for the right price or with an appropriate draft pick, they should probably move Echols to the bench and have him be a substitute or let him compete to be the nickel corner (which, honestly, is probably what he should have been this season anyway).

I'm pretty confident that the Jets will have Echols on the roster in 2022 at his roughly $869 thousand cap hit; they didn't spend a full season developing him as a starting corner just to give up on him after one year. If they cut him or trade him, they'd be looking at roughly $131 thousand in dead money this season and next (presumably done as a post-6/1 transaction). Like I said before, he's not my first choice to be a starting corner, but he makes fine depth at a minimum and can be trusted to handle a large workload (not as large as Hall's). Both he and Hall need to be more disciplined (14 accepted penalties between them, mostly for DPI or defensive holding), something that can be helped by giving opposing QBs less time to throw.

Isaiah Dunn, Age 23, 1 Year of Experience

Of the five CBs on the roster for 2022, Dunn is perhaps the likeliest to be on the chopping block after receiving the least playing time. He was almost purely a special teamer through the first nine games of the season, only receiving a combined 4 snaps on defense across two games in that time. When Echols got injured, they turned to him to be a starting corner opposite Bryce Hall, but pretty quickly realized "Wait, we shouldn't be doing that" and benched him after one game in favor of Javelin Guidry. He was a UDFA rookie playing against a first round rookie in Jaylen Waddle that day, so that might have been just a really bad day for him, but it's still difficult to evaluate what he was beyond that single game performance.

In 12 games (6 games with defensive snaps; healthy scratch 5 times) in 2021, Dunn tallied 8 tackles (7 solo), 0.0 sacks, 0 TFL, 0 FF, 2 PD and 0 INT. Again, it's hard to make much of this; all 7 of his solo tackles came in that one game as a starter, a day he received nearly two-thirds of his season's defensive snaps (71 of 115). He was poor in coverage that day, allowing 4 completions for a perfect passer rating for his 106 yards and a TD. His coverage grade for the day was 41.0, by far his lowest of his season, but again, it's really difficult to put much stock into his season's grades. Prior to that day, he was targeted once each in his two games played on defense (and he broke up both passes nicely); after that day, he wasn't targeted at all on 20 more coverage snaps. He was good as a tackler in not missing any, but he only had tackles in two games on defense (plus one on special teams). His run defense grade was poor for the season at 36.1 (which is lower than any single-game grade he had in that category), but again, he wasn't making tackles after the Texans game (where he had one assist).

Dunn's not a good special teamer, really; he had a season grade of 52.0 on not that many snaps, and the Jets evidently didn't like his work as a gunner following the road Patriots game, not giving him another look at that spot after that day. He was fine in limited exposure but was clearly not ready to be a starter. Given how little opportunity he received on special teams to get game reps, I doubt he's high on the Jets' list of developmental priorities next season. He's currently projected to be the third wide corner on the roster and probably should slip to fourth at best.

Dunn accounts for a cap hit of $833 thousand in 2022, but can be cut at any time with only $16.7 thousand in dead money left on his UDFA rookie contract. I imagine that he would probably clear waivers, so he'd make fine depth on the practice squad where the Jets could take more time to develop him and then maybe promote him during injury absences to guys on the depth chart in front of him. Even still, I don't think the Jets should plan for him to be anything more than what he was in 2021, so if he gets claimed off waivers, it's not a big deal.

So now that we've covered the guys currently on the team, let's move on to some options externally. I'm going to level with you; I'm not interested in trading for a cornerback. I know there are options like Marshon Lattimore with the Saints, James Bradberry with the Giants, Marcus Peters with the Ravens, or maybe even Jaire Alexander with the Packers. Those are all good players and would definitely make the Jets better with their presence, but (with the exception of Peters) those guys all have cap hits over $10 million in 2022 and I doubt I'd be willing to meet any asking prices (I think all of them would require 2nd round picks at a minimum, probably a 1st for Alexander). I wouldn't be mad if the Jets traded for any of them (in a reasonable trade), but I doubt it's something they're planning on doing and it's definitely not something I'd like to do.

I'm also not too keen on paying top dollar for impending free agents. In this outlook's free agency analysis, I'm only looking for guys in the 2nd tier, or those that I would expect to cost less than $5 million per year in free agency. They might not even be full-time starters if they can't beat Echols, Hall or another unnamed rookie for a starting job on the perimeter, but I'd rather have better depth than Isaiah Dunn. I'm not paying a premium price to bring in the likes of Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson, Darious Williams, Rasul Douglas or someone of their ilk that is expected to get paid a lot of money this offseason, even though I'd definitely like to have one of them on the team.

So, with that, let me begin my analysis of free agents that I'd like the Jets to explore for the 2022 season.

Javelin Guidry, Age 24, 2 Years of Experience

I'll start with the likeliest one, as Guidry is subject to the exclusive rights free agent tender with the Jets as a player with fewer than 3 years of experience. The Jets could easily retain his services with the ERFA tender for a fully guaranteed $895 thousand for 2022, and to me, this is a no-brainer. Guidry has experience as both a perimeter and slot corner with the Jets under three different defensive coordinators and has the great upside he displayed in 2020 that didn't quite return in 2021.

In 17 games in 2021, Guidry tallied 48 tackles (33 solo), 0.0 sacks, 1 TFL, 0 FF, 3 PD and 0 INT. This comes after an 11 game season in 2020 where he forced 4 fumbles; he didn't do nearly as good of a job knocking the ball loose in 2021, but he did have those 3 deflections, so he can find the ball. He was one of the Jets' best tacklers on the season with only 5 missed tackles (2 against the Eagles, easily his worst game as a tackler) for a grade of 67.5 in that category. Was he good in coverage? Not really, getting picked on by the Bills and Eagles when he was tasked with solo covering Stefon Diggs and DeVonta Smith, but the Jets really shouldn't have put him in the position to be shadowing two top receivers by himself. He still showcased himself to be a worthy corner against not-as-stiff competition; his most targets in coverage came against the Jaguars where he worked mostly out of the slot, and he had a breakup and only 57 yards and no TDs on his 7 targets.

He's about average on special teams (not a lot of snaps), but I think he has enough defensive value to justify using the tender on him. He'd be a backup on the perimeter and in the slot (or maybe even a starting slot ahead of Michael Carter II) that can track the ball both in the air and in the receiver's possession, though he has yet to put both of those tracking skills together in the same season. He was never graded well as a run-defender, but he was decent as a pass-rusher in 2020 and very good in coverage (76.5 grade on 104 coverage snaps) in 2020 as well. His tackling declined on a really bad tackling defense in 2021, but was still above average where it had been great before.

Steven Nelson, Age 29, 7 Years of Experience

Nelson was cut in the 2021 offseason by the Steelers for cap purposes, even after he turned in pretty good 2019 and 2020 seasons for the team. He chose to remain in Pennsylvania and signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Eagles and was generally good for them, serving as a full-time starter despite only joining the team two weeks before the preseason began. They might want to re-sign him, but with three first round picks and only $21.5 million in cap space at present, they might decide to draft his replacement with them already having Darius Slay as a full-time starter at corner.

In 16 games in 2021 (held out of the finale when the Eagles rested their starters), Nelson tallied 50 tackles (34 solo), 0.0 sacks, 0 TFL, 0 FF, 7 PD and 1 INT. His best attribute was his tackling, having only 3 missed tackles on the season for a well-above-his-average 86.0 tackling grade (previous career-high was 64.9 from 2018). His coverage was usually average or better, but perhaps his worst game in coverage was against the Jets (if you can believe it), where he allowed both of the Jets' passing touchdowns. He also graded rather poorly in coverage against the Raiders, Broncos and Chiefs (so maybe he has a weakness when playing the AFC West), but he was average or better in every other game. His run defense has always been above average in his career (68.8 grade in 2021) while his pass-rushing has been less so (only 1 pass-rushing snaps in 2021 where he generated a pressure and hit the QB for a grade of 60.0), so don't expect him to play in the box.

If Nelson were to sign with the Jets, I project that it would be on a two-year, $10 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. I view him as a guy who would likely start over Brandin Echols on the perimeter, meaning Echols either shifts to the slot or works as the first backup behind him and Bryce Hall. Nelson doesn't necessarily add the ball-hawking that you'd want from him with only 4 interceptions in the last 3 seasons (same number he had in 4 seasons with the Chiefs), but he is solid and consistent, the same as Hall has been these last two years. You can definitely work with the two of them as a starting CB tandem.

Joe Haden, Age 33, 12 Years of Experience

Another former Steeler, Haden is entering the offseason as a free agent CB on the wrong side of 30, when most CBs are on their way out if they haven't left already. He spent the last five years with the Steelers and probably wants to remain there (he did not get an extension last year, though), but the Steelers are entering an offseason where they will have a new GM with limited cap space ($31 million at present with no easy cuts to make) and limited draft resources (picks in the middle of the first four rounds, two in the 7th with one expected 4th round compensatory pick on the way). They might decide that now is the time to part ways with more of their longtime players after already saying goodbye to longtime QB Ben Roethlisberger.

In 12 regular season games in 2021 (missing 5 with a foot injury), Haden tallied 38 tackles (26 solo), 0.0 sacks, 0 TFL, 1 FF, 6 PD and 0 INT. Again, not exactly a ball hawk at this stage of his career, but he's not that far removed from his 5 INT 2019 Pro Bowl season, so perhaps there's a world where he could once again have some picks in a Jets uniform. He was slightly above average in coverage in 2021 with a season grade of 65.0 in that category, though if not for standout coverage games against the Bills and Lions, he's probably about average. He only allowed 5 TDs in his 13 games (including the postseason), and 3 of them were against the Chiefs; otherwise, he allowed 2 TDs in 11 games. He had a rough start to the season as a tackler with 8 misses in his first 5 games, but he didn't have another miss in his next 7 (one miss in the playoffs), giving him a subpar season grade of 46.6 in that category. In a credit to him, he hasn't been an average tackler since the conclusion of his rookie contract in 2014 and has managed to stick around for his skills in other categories. He was also below average as a run-defender with a 51.1 grade, but like his tackling, it improved after a rough five-game stretch to open the season.

If Haden were to sign with the Jets, I project that it would be on a one-year, $2.5 million contract with $1 million guaranteed (rest of it vesting guaranteed as a veteran). I think that's enough to make sure he clears waivers if he doesn't win a job outright, which I think he would, though that would mean having to waive or trade one of Echols or Carter II in all likelihood. Otherwise, it's a reasonable value for a corner who can still start at his age, though he would ideally not be playing 78% of the defensive snaps of games he's playing in like he did this past season. I view him as a guy who would likely start over Echols, though he and Echols would be battling for the starting job in camp and maybe Echols would show enough improvement in his second year to keep a hold of it. He would serve as a spell corner at the perimeter on some snaps and an injury replacement at worst. If Haden gets a better offer than this or decides he wants to join an expected contender, the Jets will have to look elsewhere.

Honorable mention: Pierre Desir, Age 32, 6 Years of Experience

Yes... really... I mean it... I'm considering bringing back the Jets' 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee, who was cut after playing 9 games for the Jets and getting paid $3.5 million to generally play poorly. He truly was a critically poor signing, but he wasn't really cut because he was struggling. He was cut because the Jets decided to give Bryce Hall a lot of playing time when they fell to 0-8 when he was ready to return and they hoped that they could get someone else to claim him off waivers and pay the rest of his guaranteed salary since they didn't want him as a backup behind the younger players like Hall and Blessuan Austin. No one claimed him, and he ended up spending the rest of the season on the Ravens' practice squad (and it was a true LOLJETS moment when he was revealed as their nominee for the award while on said practice squad). He signed with the Seahawks in the 2021 offseason but failed to make the roster. The Buccaneers signed him to their practice squad after injuries to several members of their secondary, then added him to the active roster in October where he remained for the rest of the season.

In 12 regular season games in 2021 (10 with defensive snaps; 2 games as a healthy scratch after spending the first 3 on the practice squad), Desir tallied 28 tackles (26 solo), 0.0 sacks, 0 TFL, 1 FF, 4 PD and 2 INT. He was very good on his 223 coverage snaps, earning a 71.1 grade in that category, with his worst single-game grade (46.5 in coverage and 41.4 overall) coming against the Jets (I can't believe it either). His tackling was subpar, having 5 missed tackles on defense and another on special teams (2 combined against the Jets). His run defense was average in every game except the one against the Jets (40.3 where he wasn't below 56.2 in any other game, though sample sizes are often small). Basically, if you take out his one game against the team that thought he was the most charitable on their roster before they cut him, he was about an average, backup corner that was very good in coverage and okay as a run-defender. Maybe he was feeling charitable that day, I don't know.

If Desir were to sign with the Jets (and get the confetti ready for when he does), I project that it would be on a one-year, $1.2 million contract with a third of it guaranteed. I view him as a backup who would split reps with Echols and Hall on either side, a role he could have served in 2020 if the Jets hadn't cut him to try to save money in a complete disaster of a season. I think he's got to be accepting of the fact that he isn't a starting corner anymore and isn't likely to get better offers than this, and he might even need to begin a season on the practice squad should he intend to continue his playing career. He might want to retire or join a contender next season, in which case, the Jets would have to look elsewhere.

Minimum Wage Options

I guess Desir technically fits into this pile with his minimum wage being about $150 thousand below what I previously offered. Since I'm not planning on giving out major contracts in free agency, I can't guarantee that any of the low-dollar contracts I've projected would appeal to these guys; Nelson might be looking for money and Haden and Desir might not want to join the Jets. I'd like for there to be at least some veteran presence in the CB room, so here are my three favorite options you can get from the veteran minimum pile.

The first is Brandon Facyson, who is a Hokie and fills my need of one per list (yes, I'm back to doing that, and I might even have another Hokie on this outlook). He's spent the first four seasons of his career in the AFC West and has been a generally great run defender in his two seasons with significant defensive snaps (76.8 and 76.6 in 2019 and 2021), and his coverage is comparable to Brandin Echols's (13 PD and 1 INT in 2021 for a grade of 45.7). The second is Darryl Roberts, another former Jets CB that has been serviceable for the two different teams he's played for. He's battled injuries and doesn't have much value to a contender, so his choices are probably re-join the Jets or retire. The third is Donte Deayon, a guy who has split time between the perimeter and the slot with the Rams this past season. He could return to the Rams for the veteran minimum, though they're hurting for cap and might not want to keep him around (he's their 4th CB on the depth chart) for even the minimum.

With veteran options out of the way, now I'll turn to options in the 2022 draft. While I've been pretty firm about what I've wanted to do with the 4th overall pick, I have gone back and forth about my plans for the 10th overall pick. Would I be willing to spend it on a CB? It depends on how the Jets flesh out their ranks in free agency. Since I'm leaving that open, I'll be examining options for it. I'll split my three favorite options in two tiers based on those I think would be immediate starters and where the selection will be. I will also be trying to do one player per pick, so I'm going to use my best judgment to determine whether guys will be available there.

Draft Options

I'll begin with the first tier, as in guys who I expect would be immediate starters for this defense. The Jets haven't drafted a corner earlier than the 5th round under Joe Douglas (Michael Carter II at pick 154), so maybe all of these guys are off the table if the Jets stick with that policy. So, with that in mind, let me list my three favorite options to be immediate starters in the draft.

Draft 1st Tier

Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, Age 22, Cincinnati

Gardner has been a top CB in college football since becoming a starter as a true freshman in 2019 for the Bearcats. In three seasons, he's played in 36 of a possible 38 games (missing one due to COVID-19 and another for an undisclosed reason) and allowed 0 touchdowns in coverage while pulling in 9 interceptions (2 returned for a TD in 2019). Even as a true freshman with not much prior experience playing CB he was great, being one of the most-targeted corners in the country per snap and still managing to impress with a 90.0 coverage grade. Other QBs quickly learned to stop throwing in his direction, taking away an entire half of the field.

In 14 games in 2021, Gardner tallied 40 tackles (28 solo), 3.0 sacks, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 4 PD and 3 INT. His most impressive work might have been against Alabama when he and fellow CB Coby Bryant (more on him later) limited presumptive 1st round pick Jameson Williams to 7 receptions for 62 yards and 0 TDs. PFF graded Gardner as the nation's CB14 even with his fantastic coverage grade of 87.2, as just under a half of his defensive snaps saw him actually drop into coverage. He wasn't quite as effective as a run-stopper, earning a still-great grade of 77.8 as a run-defender. His weakness- if you can call it that- was likely in tackling, as he is credited with 6 missed tackles for a grade of 70.9 on the season. Hopefully, that part of his game would improve as he takes his talents to the NFL, though it's good enough where it is now if it doesn't improve.

The Jets would likely need to spend a 1st round pick to get him, and before the combine (where he may choose to add mass to his frame before participating in drills), it appears that they may be able to wait until their 10th pick to draft him. I'm not considering him or any corner at 4th overall (I'm drafting either one of the two heavy edge rushers or one of the two heavy tackles), but if the Jets have their biggest need at CB, I'd be willing to take him at 10th. I like him more than I like Derek Stingley Jr., who was the best CB in the nation in 2019 but has barely played since (and was actually quite poor when playing in 2021) due to multiple injuries. If Gardner is off the board at 10 and I still want to take a corner, I'd consider taking Stingley, but I need to see him perform at the combine and/or his pro day first.

Roger McCreary, Age 22, Auburn

McCreary only became a full-time starter for the Tigers in his junior season in 2020 after serving as a backup his first two seasons. He quickly made his case for staying on the field as much as possible, starting 10 games (opted out of the Bowl Game) and being PFF's CB22 in his junior year. One of his games included a great performance against future Jets WR Elijah Moore of Ole Miss, limiting Moore to 5 catches for only 16 yards and 1 TD in that game. Hungry for more than just a standout junior season, McCreary followed it up with a statement 2021 senior season and established himself as a possible 1st round pick in the 2022 draft.

In 12 games in 2021 (opted out of the Bowl Game again), McCreary tallied 49 tackles (41 solo), 1.0 sacks, 2 TFL, 0 FF, 14 PD and 2 INT (1 returned for a TD). He was PFF's CB2 in 2021 (behind only Christian Benford of Villanova) with an overall grade of 89.9 while playing in the SEC. His coverage was far and away his best attribute, earning a grade of 89.7 in that category for his plentiful pass breakups and even some interceptions (none since his third game of the season in a loss at Penn State). He was also great as a pass-rusher with a grade of 90.6, though the Tigers only used him as a rusher on 8 snaps in 2021. Beyond his sublime coverage and pass-rushing grades, though, he did struggle with defending against the run and in tackling. He earned a tepid 67.7 as a run-defender, which is concerning; though I'm sure he faced some good run-blocking receivers in his time, this seems like a glaring weakness that might get exploited at the next level. He also missed 9 tackles for a grade of 64.0, a total you'd hope would either stay exactly where it is or go down in a 17-game NFL season.

The Jets would likely need to spend a 2nd round pick to get him, though his stock is trending upward, so he might not be available at pick 35. He played well in the Senior Bowl and its associated practices (for the Lions' team), so he likely won't need a year as a backup or nickel corner (though that is an option for him) and would be an immediate starter for the Jets. He's somewhat undersized to play outside corner in the NFL and might need to split his time in the slot and on the perimeter even in a full workload. He's not particularly fast for a corner either, so he might not be capable of performing in man coverage, but he has been a fantastic zone defender at Auburn and would hopefully continue his good work in the NFL. McCreary has the ability to play safety as well, so he might spend some time deep behind the line of scrimmage on some plays, perhaps serving as a STAR defender for the Jets.

Coby Bryant, Age 23-24, Cincinnati

Working as a teammate with Ahmad Gardner gave the Bearcats one of the best CB duos in all of college football, if not the best. Bryant chose to return to college for a fifth season after being granted an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, and not only did he have the best season of his collegiate career, he arguably had the best season of any DB in the country. How can I make that claim? Well, he was voted the Jim Thorpe Award winner, the award given to the best DB in the country, so...

In 14 games in 2021, Bryant tallied 45 tackles (35 solo), 0.0 sacks, 1.5 TFL, 3 FF, 11 PD and 3 INT. He was PFF's CB16 in 2021 for his efforts, earning an overall grade of 86.7 for his excellent work in all categories. In coverage, he earned a grade of 85.0, though he did allow 3 TDs in coverage while working alongside Gardner who didn't allow any. He was better than his counterpart as a run-defender with a grade of 83.6, though it should be noted that he struggled in this regard against Alabama (good in coverage that game), so you probably shouldn't expect it to hold up in the NFL. He also had an outstanding tackling grade of 81.1 in 2021 for his 3 missed tackles, but you also need to note that this is unusually good for him; he'd had a bit of a reputation as a poor tackler in previous seasons; if he's discovered a way to limit his tackling errors, great, but I expect that he probably reverts to his prior form next year after a rather mediocre tackling (but still great coverage) performance in the Senior Bowl on the Jets' team.

The Jets would likely need to spend a 3rd round pick to get him, though it is possible that he could fall to the 4th round for them. It's unclear how much further his stock could rise; he's not particularly fast nor is he seen as a particularly good athlete. He most likely takes the starting job from Brandin Echols in year one, but it's not a given. I think he has higher upside than Echols, though given the fact that he was working alongside a more-refined, talented corner in Ahmad Gardner, he was able to settle into the role of a CB2 that can find the ball in the air. Echols served that role in his rookie season and is probably more polished than Bryant would be as a rookie, so the Jets may choose to try using Bryant in rotation with Echols rather than put him out there full-time if they're not confident in him rapidly developing. There's a good chance that he could work as a slot corner with his plus run-defending should the Jets want to (or have to) switch to a base nickel defense, but he wasn't often tested there with Cincinnati.

Draft 2nd Tier

This second tier is comprised of players that I wouldn't expect to become instant starters for the Jets defense, though perhaps they do impress enough that they could find their way to the top of the depth chart. I never considered Echols and Pinnock from the 2021 class, though, so identifying late-round corners is probably not my strong suit. These are my three favorite second-tier options, though I'm not going into too much detail on them... save one...

Jermaine Waller, Age 22-23, Virginia Tech

I'm not just including him because he's a Hokie; I may have done that in the past (and I won't be confessing to which times I've done it, but this isn't that. I genuinely believe that Waller has the makings of a true starting corner in the NFL. Frankly, this might be an unpopular take, I think he was a better corner for the Hokies than 2021 1st round pick Caleb Farley was (though I am quite bitter over Farley's opt-out, so maybe I'm not seeing it right). Waller looked like he might stamp his case to be the second consecutive Hokie CB to go in the first round with a series of 5 strong performances to open the year. He had 4 picks in the first 5 games of the season, leading a defense that- at the time- looked like it might actually be able to compete with the best offenses in the Power 5. A terrible offense, a soon-to-be-fired head coach making terrible coaching decisions and a terrible pass rush began to sink the work the secondary was doing as time wore on, though, and soon enough, Waller was unable to keep up the tremendous pace he'd set early on in the season.

He played with less discipline on a less-disciplined team as the frustration mounted among players and the fans, so that's something that needs to be corrected once he gets to the NFL (especially if he comes to the Jets). This was never confirmed, but I think Waller was playing through a shoulder injury in his final two games (ultimately did injure his knee that cost him the season finale before he opted out of the Bowl Game). He dropped what would have been a pick six a few plays before his injury, and he suffered his injury while committing defensive pass interference; really not good, I know. He had the worst three-game stretch of his career in his final three games and I'm not giving him a glowing endorsement.

I think Waller is worthy of a 4th round pick should he still be available and the Jets have not drafted nor signed a corner to this point. He struggled with injuries his final two seasons (missed most of 2020 with summer foot surgery and a midseason ankle injury) and a lack of discipline in his final few games, but I've seen glimpses of greatness from him. He was PFF's CB32 in 2019 when he managed to put together a healthy season (missed one game due to that foot injury that required surgery) working alongside Farley and sometimes working without him, as Farley (as you may know) had his own injury troubles. He barely played in 2020 and tailed off as the 2021 season wore on; I truly do think that Waller could be a starting corner for the Jets if he keeps healthy and disciplined, even possibly being able to beat out Brandin Echols for the starting job in year one. He reportedly did well at the East-West Shrine Bowl (I didn't watch) and will likely be invited to the combine with a chance to boost his stock back up to the third round where he was before his late season slide. If he is able to bump his stock up at the combine and/or Virginia Tech's pro day, I doubt the Jets would be willing to trade up for him, but if they were to trade back from an earlier pick and acquire a later 3rd, I'd have no problem taking him. If his stock slips and he looks like he could be available for the Jets in the 5th, all the better; they can try to find a late-round steal like they've apparently done with Hall, Echols and Carter II.

Alontae Taylor, Age 23, Tennessee

Okay, back to more mundane analysis. Taylor is a guy I've seen mocked in a lot of different spots (I've even seen him mocked as high as the very end of the 2nd round), but I think the safe bet is that he probably goes somewhere in the middle of the 3rd round. He certainly helped his case at the Senior Bowl with an interception (on a poorly thrown pass by Carson Strong) as a member of the Lions' team. He's got good size and very good speed, expected to run in the low 4.4s at the combine. He wasn't great in coverage in his underclassman seasons, but he discovered something new within himself and earned a coverage grade of 81.1 from PFF. If that's something that can be translated to the NFL with his usually strong run-defending (not great at tackling), he has the potential to be a starting CB, though I suspect he would probably need to spend a year as a backup first.

Matt Hankins, Age 23, Iowa

Hankins probably needs to add mass to his frame and will need to showcase what he can do at a new walking weight at his pro day, but he demonstrated a lot of favorable traits during his time at Iowa (and he spent a lot of time at Iowa). A pair of shoulder injuries in 2019 and 2021 cost him three games each, but he was a starter for four years at a top Big Ten program, so he has a lot of ready-made experience with which to call upon. He demonstrated some great ball skills in his time, compiling 6 interceptions and 23 breakups in his final 28 games. His tackling was also outstanding, but, again, he probably needs to add mass, so some of these traits might decline if he does. I think he could be available in the 4th round (for now) and probably needs to spend some time on the bench in his rookie season before he can be handed the role of a starter, but he's a guy that you can develop like the Jets are trying to do with Echols. I also think he can be a starting gunner opposite Justin Hardee Sr., though I can't say I've seen him perform that role at Iowa.

Bonus Options in the 2022 Draft

Beyond those that I've listed, there's a chance that the Jets will want to add more developmental pieces in the later rounds and UDFA. They did draft three DBs in the late rounds in 2021 in Carter II, Echols and Pinnock; five if you include the two they converted to LB with Sherwood and Nasirildeen. They might repeat, though if they did, I think they'd slant more toward the safety position. I think there are some guys that would be good corners to explore in the late rounds or UDFA.

First, I'd like to give Damarri Mathis of Pitt a try, and I think he could be a good swing in the fifth round. He was a starting corner opposite Jason Pinnock in 2019 before Mathis missed the entire 2020 college season with an injury and Pinnock entered the 2021 draft; maybe the two of them could rekindle their dual coverage work with Pinnock at safety or at CB (or even with Mathis at S). I'd also like to try out Myles Jones of Texas A&M, a corner with unusual height (listed at 6'4'') that is currently projected to go undrafted. I think he could have done well on the Aggies' defense had he been healthy, but an injury cut his 2021 season short at 2 games, but he was good in 2020 when he was a full-time starter and could be useful man to have on the perimeter in zone coverage, or perhaps even deep as a safety. Finally, I'd also like to bring in Brandon Sebastian of Boston College, who has experience as both a corner and safety with the Eagles while also having good experience on special teams. He's probably going to be undrafted as well, so I think he could be an undrafted find similar to Javelin Guidry in the best case.

My Preference

As I said, I'm not going to be picky about the CB room in free agency and I don't care much for making a trade for a CB1. The Jets will likely look to improve their pass rush as their primary manner of improving the passing defense, and secondary help will probably come in adding surefire starting safeties over surefire starting corners. I expect all of the drafted corners from the 2020 and 2021 classes to remain with the team on the active roster next season, and I'd like to bring back Javelin Guidry even if it means losing Isaiah Dunn.

From free agency, I'd target Nelson first and see if he'd be willing to come to terms on the listed contract. If he's looking for more money or guarantees, I'm probably looking elsewhere, so I'd shift my focus to Joe Haden and see about whether or not he'd be willing to accept the listed contract. He'd be competing with Echols, Guidry, Carter II and probably at least one rookie for a roster spot, so I'm not willing to raise the guarantees in the likely event that I would need to waive him. I think the size of the contract would prevent other teams from claiming him so that he could return to the practice squad or even back to the active roster should any IR placements be made prior to Week 1 (same as they did with Ryan Griffin and Tyler Kroft last year).

In the draft, I'm currently of the mind that I'd like to avoid taking a corner in the first round, though if it appears to be the most pressing need, I'm not opposed to it. Right now, I'm planning on taking a corner in the 3rd round, preferably Coby Bryant but I would switch to Jermaine Waller if Bryant is off the board and Waller has managed to bump up his stock to that point (otherwise, I'd trade back or wait until the 4th to take him). I'd also like to bring in at least Damarri Mathis of the bonus options, though if I've done all other previous steps, there might not be enough room for him on the roster, so I might not draft him with a 5th round pick. If he's not available later or if the Jets don't have a pick after the 5th round and he does not make it to UDFA, I'd switch to Myles Jones and see if he could be either a safety or corner in the Jets' defensive secondary.

Thanks for reading if you've made it this far.

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