Jets Secondary Has Ingredients of a Top 10 Unit

However, coming off of a disappointing 2024, Sauce will have to prove his status as one of the best cornerbacks in football again. 

Although he still performed decently as a cover corner, Sauce had his first true down year in the NFL after back to back first-team All-Pro selections. His poor tackling skills and slim upper body were on full display when asked to make plays in space. His ball skills took a nosedive as well. Sauce recorded half as many PBUs (7) as he did in his rookie season, while recording only one interception.

Brandon Stephens

If Sauce’s season was disappointing, then the season of Brandon Stephens, the new addition, presumed boundary starter for New York, was a flat-out nightmare.

Stephens recorded an abysmal 55.8 PFF grade while giving up a career worst 806 yards. On the surface, adding Stephens was surprising for a Jets team that had young talent at the cornerback position, even before the selection of Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas. However, it is starting to become evident in training camp why Sauce and Stephens are the ideal boundaries for a Glenn defense.

As much as Sauce struggled to tackle last year, he’s been known as the most physical cornerback at the line of scrimmage since entering the league. Some criticize his physicality, and argue that his playing style is enabled by lenient refereeing, but Glenn thrives on physicality. Meanwhile, as a converted safety, Stephens’ strength has always been his biggest advantage.

Despite all the troubles Stephens had allowing big plays, it wasn’t due to an inability to cover. Out of all cornerbacks that took 300+ coverage snaps, he ranked sixth in targets into tight window areas. Stephens’ downfall was his ball skills, in which he gave up the most completions over expected in 2024.

Stephens isn’t a typical bad cornerback who was just burnt toast last season; he was able to do his job effectively until the ball went his way. Going against star wide receiver Garrett Wilson in training camp has been a baptism by fire for Stephens, and by all accounts, he’s held his own.

If Glenn’s staff can get average ball skills from his outside corners this season, they’re the perfect archetype for one of the most man-heavy coaches in football. 

Tony Adams

There are three safeties that Glenn and Darren Mougey brought in this offseason that promise to make a huge difference in the Jets secondary.

The first one is a returning face — Tony Adams. Despite being an under-the-radar man on the Jets’ defense in 2022 and 2023, Adams was quietly one of the most consistent players of the Saleh regime, posting a PFF defense grade in the high 60s each year. Some fans have been disappointed that the UDFA hasn’t popped as much in-game as he does during training camp. While this is true to an extent, Adams hasn’t been unleashed in the way he can be in Glenn’s defense.

The mode under Robert Saleh was to play a ton of quarters defense, where they leaned on their elite cornerbacks while the safeties were put in a replaceable, “don’t get beat over the top” role. Since he’s been in Detroit, Glenn has prioritized having two ball-hawking safeties flying all over the field, allowing the cornerbacks to focus solely on denying the receiver the ball. Adams isn’t Kerby Joseph or Brian Branch, but his instincts and speed on the back end have the chance to show up on tape with Glenn at the helm. 

Andre Cisco

Next to Adams is another young veteran, Andre Cisco. Cisco has been one of the MVPs of camp so far with the Jets. He’s a potential breakout candidate in the new system.

Cisco racked up seven interceptions in 2022 and 2023, before taking a step back last year with one. He likes to play similarly to Adams as a roamer in the intermediate to deep area of the field, a style that fits like a glove next to cornerbacks that negate separation but don’t take advantage with great ball skills (Sauce and Stephens).

With Cisco only 25 years old and Adams 26, it is certainly plausible that their best football is still ahead of them. 

Malachi Moore

There’s one more piece to this puzzle that can take this defense to the next level, however — fourth-round pick Malachi Moore.

Unlike Adams and Cisco, Moore brings a level of physicality at the safety position that Glenn’s defense requires. He shined in his fifth year at Alabama as a player and a leader, recording a PFF grade of 84.9 at safety and slot corner — it’s the latter where he can make an immediate impact for this unit.

Moore’s coverage and tackling ability can allow the Jets to live in Big Nickel against heavier sets with good tight ends, ideally, like how Cooper DeJean transformed the Eagles’ defense when moved inside. Moore isn’t DeJean, but he brings similar qualities. He can allow his defense to hold an upper hand in pass coverage numbers while possessing enough physicality inside the box. As he develops into a true field-patroller from deep, Moore could be the chess piece to unlock the unpredictability of this defense. 

Jets Secondary Stepping Up

After underperforming in 2024 and losing three defensive backs, there were significant questions about whether this Jets defense could rebound. However, New York now looks poised to have a secondary even better and more versatile than before. Aaron Glenn has built a unit that will be as smothering as ever, while at the same time being more aggressive in taking the ball away and helping carry their inexperienced offense.