Best of AFC East: Division boasts top talent in secondary
NFL defensive coordinators and general managers are catching up with the rest of the league. The NFL is leaning toward a pass-happy contest, and that means defenses have had to find a way to defend against the aerial attack in a multitude of ways. The best way teams have found in combating that is to find defensive backfield talent, and the AFC East reflects that.
The secondary may be the most talented position among any group as a whole within the division. On a few different AFC East teams, the secondary might be the strongest-overall unit… and by a lot.
So who has the best of those squads? Here’s Bills Wire’s rankings of the AFC East’s secondaries:
Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
1. New England Patriots
The Patriots have a stellar group of players in their secondary, as hard as it is to admit. Stephon Gilmore has been at the top of the cornerback charts for the past few seasons. He’s been named an All-Pro in each of the past two seasons and was 2019’s Defensive Player of the Year. He tied for the league lead with six interceptions and led the league with 20 passes defensed. Gilmore was graded as the No. 1 cornerback by Pro Football Focus in 2019.
Opposite Gilmore is Jason McCourty and JC Jackson. Jonathan Jones gives this cornerback spot great depth, but the Pats didn’t even stand pat there recently. The Lions traded cornerback Michael Jackson to New England last weekend, adding further depth pieces at cornerback.
Devin McCourty has been among the top safeties in the league in recent memory. The veteran recorded five interceptions last year. But it’s all perfect for the Pats.
The only knock on the unit is how will they fill in the gap left by Patrick Chung, an 11-year veteran who opted out of this upcoming season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But there’s a few potential options.
The Pats drafted Kyle Duggar in the second-round of the 2020 draft. Duggar is a versatile player who can be a presence at the line of scrimmage. Adrian Phillips, a 2018 All-Pro, will be looked upon to fill the void as well. He missed time last year due to a forearm injury. If he’s completely healthy, Phillips should garner starting snaps for this unit. But even without Chung, this secondary won’t be coming into New England a stroll in the park in 2020… even without Tom Brady.
Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
2. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo’s secondary is extremely good–there’s no other way to say it. They are on the cusp of taking over as the division’s elite unit. Tre’Davious White has been magnificent for the Bills, earning All-Pro honors last year while leading the league with six interceptions (in a tie with Gilmore). He is the team’s shutdown corner for the foreseeable future.
Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are quietly an effective duo at safety. They don’t receive the glitz and grammar of the national media, but they should. Hyde only earned a Pro Bowl bid in 2017, while somehow the NFL has continued to overlook Poyer with national recognition. They are productive on the field, giving balance to an already stout defense.
The only question with this secondary is the second starting cornerback spot. Levi Wallace as been good, but for the unit to be elite, it will need even stronger play out of Wallace. Buffalo signed Josh Norman to compete for starting snaps this upcoming season. Norman, who is being paid like a starter, struggled toward the end of his tenure in Washington. The Bills hope Norman will find some of the magic from his Carolina days, but that’s not a given. He’s 32 and years removed from those Panthers All-Pro efforts.
Taron Johnson has been effective as the Bills’ slot cornerback. Buffalo also has Siran Neal, who has worked well in Buffalo’s “big nickel” schemes, as well as a depth safety with Dean Marlowe.
Tre White Interception to seal the Bills victory pic.twitter.com/6WjvKZJ1Vc
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) September 22, 2019
\Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
3. Miami Dolphins
Xavien Howard is another solid shutdown cornerback in the AFC East, even if he’s a tad overlooked due to his team’s overall lack of success. He is currently dealing with a knee injury, which cost him the second half of last season, but he’s excepted to be good to go once next season starts. Howard led the league with seven interceptions in 2018.
During free agency this offseason, the Dolphins made a surprise move and signed cornerback Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million contract. Jones is another very good cornerback, and these two could become the division’s best 1-2 punch at the position, but they’ll certainly have to prove it first. He spent the first five years of career in Dallas. However, he hasn’t been the turnover master from a top cornerback. Still, he was sixth-best in the percentage of passes defensed last year.
But speaking of surprises, those didn’t stop here for the Dolphins secondary this offseason. Miami drafted cornerback Noah Igbinoghene in the first round of the 2020 draft, who will be their starting nickel cornerback. That’s a hugely-revamped start to their secondary in 2020.
Behind these corners, Eric Rowe and Bobby McCain will take on the safety duties for Miami. The Dolphins also drafted safety Brandon Jones in the third round this offesason to add further depth to the group. The Dolphins are going to be a completely different looking team next season, and it appears they might be trying to go the way of the 2017 Bills by letting their secondary lead the way.
Juju trying to separate from Xavien Howard 😬 pic.twitter.com/NFuy7sCq1j
— Ben Baldwin (@benbbaldwin) October 29, 2019
Jets free safety Marcus Maye. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
4. New York Jets
How the mighty have fallen fast.
New York land in the bottom of the secondary groups in the AFC East, and it’s not close. Losing Jamal Adams will hurt this group, but hey, Adam Gase has to find chemistry on the roster somehow. The draft picks acquired in the deal will do well for the next coach and general manager if he doesn’t get his team to turn things around in 2020.
Marcus Maye will lead this group at strong safety, but without Adams, he’s kind of on an island of his own now. He will be joined by Bradley McDougald, who had two interceptions last year. McDougald, acquired in the Adams deal, is an aggressive safety, but he’s not the star that Adams was.
While the safety spot seems to be OK for New York, the cornerback landscape is a bit of a mystery. Pierre Desir comes over from Indianapolis. In 12 games, Desir recorded 50 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 passes defensed last year. The challenge will be if he can take on the No.1 cornerback spot on a consistent basis. A tall ask.
Blessaun Austin, Quincy Wilson, and Arthur Maulet will battle for the starting snaps opposite Desire. Brian Poole will also play in the slot and out wide. The Jets, as part of their secondary transformation, drafted safety Ashtyn Davis in the third-round of the draft.
Perhaps this crew turns some heads in 2020, but on paper, goodness are the other three teams in the division much better than Gang Green.
