Jets are serious about giving young cornerbacks a shot
Robert Saleh wasn’t kidding when he said the Jets weren’t going to bring in an experienced cornerback before training camp.
Two veteran free agents – Brian Poole and Steven Nelson – signed elsewhere just days before the Jets opened camp. That leaves the Jets with few quality options if they aren’t satisfied with their current collection of cornerbacks.
It sounds as if they are, though, as Robert Saleh recently reiterated his commitment to the Jets’ young defensive backs. He told the New York Post’s Steve Serby that he didn’t have any concerns about his secondary, which has a combined 35 starts between its five non-rookies.
“It’s a very young group,” Saleh said. Someone’s gonna come to fruition. Bryce Hall had a really nice OTA, Bless [Austin] was having a nice OTA, then he had a minor setback with an injury that kept him out. He’s good to go. Some of the rookies had a chance to showcase their skills.”
Rolling with such an inexperienced group is a major risk for a Jets defense that looks solid at every other position. Joe Douglas beefed up the defensive line with Carl Lawson, Vinny Curry and Sheldon Rankins, the linebackers are led by C.J. Mosley, and Marcus Maye and Lamarcus Joyner will patrol the deep secondary.
But Saleh will rely on his youthful corners to hold down the rest. Hall and Austin have limited experience, while second-year undrafted free agent Javelin Guidry is expected to take over in the nickel with Poole now in New Orleans. Lamar Jackson and Corey Ballentine could assume reserve roles similar to the ones they filled in 2020, but Saleh and Douglas are hoping at least one rookie overperforms this season.
Douglas drafted Jason Pinnock, Michael Carter II, and Brandin Echols and picked up Isaiah Dunn as an undrafted free agent. One of those four could earn a starting role in the secondary and all four of them could earn snaps if they have great camps.
Regardless, the Jets will enter the 2021 season with an incredibly inexperienced cornerback class. The hope is that they will develop nicely over the rest of the summer before taking on their former quarterback – Sam Darnold – in Week 1 when the Jets face the Panthers.
“We’ve got a really good young nucleus of guys that are gonna compete,” Saleh added, “and we’ll see how it goes.”
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Jets training camp 90-man roster preview: Cornerbacks
