New Additions to Jets Secondary Establish a Needed Identity

Although Brownlee doesn’t wow traits wise (4.62 Relative Athletic Testing Score), his physicality at the line will always help him in an Aaron Glenn defense. He’s always been more than passable in coverage, but we’ve seen already in his Jets tenure how much his toughness and energy has transformed this defense. In a position that is becoming more valuable than ever, the Jets look like they have a guy for the foreseeable future.

Brandon Stephens

After the first few weeks of the season, it would have been hard to find a less popular Jet than Brandon Stephens. 

But over the past few weeks, the free agent has turned it around, posting PFF coverage grades above 76.0 three of the last four weeks. But it’s not only his coverage that’s turned this defense around. 

Like Brownlee, Stephens was brought in with the intent of contributing against the run more than the prototypical corner. In fact, many Jets fans argued that the former Raven’s woes in coverage but strong tackling skills made him a better safety than cornerback. Although that hasn’t come to fruition, he’s still been instrumental to this improved Jets run defense outside the tackles. 

Stephens’ emergence combined with Brownlee’s arrival has allowed this Jets defense to get away with defensive ends that struggle to set the edge. And what the former is doing right now feels like the exact reason Glenn and Mougey sought after him so much. Although it doesn’t look like New York has the guys in the box to stop the run, the aggressiveness these guys have spilling to the edge is a secret weapon for Aaron Glenn.

Malachi Moore

Finally, one of the more promising developments of the Jets defense is the improvement of rookie safety Malachi Moore. 

Due to injuries, Moore has rotated between slot cornerback and safety throughout the first five weeks. But the past two games have been his best stretch of the year, playing exclusively at safety. 

That was a play that displayed the range Moore had shown during preseason, and it gives him plenty of potential to be the ball hawk the Jets have been looking for. But once again, Moore’s instincts and physicality have been invaluable defensively. 

The rookie is the fourth highest graded run defender amongst all safeties in the NFL. Moore has never posted a grade below 65.0 this season, and he’s recorded a run stop in four straight games. Once again, the versatility that Glenn covets shines in Moore, where he’s been asked to play single high in cover three, sub linebacker, and slot corner this season.

But Moore is at his most useful when he can be prowling around the box, similar to his college teammate Brian Branch. Moore has the range to be a nuisance to a teams intermediate game, while providing much needed relief for a lighter Jets defensive line and linebacking room.

What these three guys are all doing shows a glimpse into the future of this New York defense. Although the turnovers aren’t coming yet, Glenn has assembled a group of guys that are swarming to the football, going above and beyond the expectations of a defensive back. If these guys continue to mature and grow into the system, it offers a glimmer of hope for the future of Jets football.