New England Patriots: Ranking the AFC East's Secondaries: Volume 2
In the first volume, we discussed the Miami Dolphins, who, in my opinion, have the highest probability of having the strongest secondary. In this series, we will cover all four teams in the AFC East and release them in "volumes," with each volume representing their respective ranking according to my assessment. In my view, there […]
In the first volume, we discussed the Miami Dolphins, who, in my opinion, have the highest probability of having the strongest secondary. In this series, we will cover all four teams in the AFC East and release them in "volumes," with each volume representing their respective ranking according to my assessment. In my view, there is a close competition for the second spot, but I think the New York Jets will have the second-best secondary in the AFC East.
2.) New York Jets
The Jet's defense as a whole is elite and will be a force in 2023, but this list is about secondaries. Addressing the "elephant in the room" that is cornerback Sauce Gardner, we cannot ignore his otherworldly rookie season, which ranks among the best in the history of rookie cornerbacks. Many of you reading this are already aware of Gardner's highly discussed special rookie season. He not only won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award but also secured a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie team and earned All-Pro honors at the young age of 22. When comparing his rookie season to other remarkable rookie cornerback performances, it becomes evident just how dominant Gardner truly was.
Gardner's stats were on par with Darrelle Revis's highly regarded 2009 season, where he shut down some of the best wide receivers in the game. Obviously, Gardner did not face the gauntlet of receiving talent that Revis did, but the numbers are similar. Revis allowed a 36.9% completion percentage in coverage and 0.74 yards per coverage snap.
Of the 70 cornerbacks who played a minimum of 400 coverage snaps, Sauce Gardner finished with the lowest completion percentage and with the third-lowest passer rating allowed in coverage. Gardner finished as PFFs number one ranked cornerback too. Not only is there a legitimate case for Gardner having the best rookie cornerback season of all time. Furthermore, one can make an argument that he is currently one of the best corners in the entire league.
The outside cornerback opposite Gardner is DJ Reed, who may be the most overlooked and underappreciated cornerback in the NFL. Reed finished as PFFs eighth-ranked corner and allowed a completion percentage of 56.6% in coverage. Neither Gardner nor Reed are ballhawks, both finishing with just two interceptions a piece, but both players can play aggressive bump n' run coverage and shrink the size of the windows opposing QBs have to throw into.
The team has had Michael Carter as their primary slot cornerback for the past two seasons and this past season saw him improve over his rookie season in completion percentage allowed and passer rating allowed. Carter has been serviceable and has the upside to improve at just 24 years old.
At Safety, the Jets are serviceable. Jordan Whitehead is a steady player with versatility to play the middle/halves of the field and come down in the box and make plays against the run. Whitehead finished as the 26th ranked safety in coverage out of 60 eligible players with a minimum of 400 coverage snaps.
During the offseason, the team made an acquisition to bolster their safety position by bringing in veteran Adrian Amos. Amos has primarily played as a free safety throughout his career, accounting for approximately 56% of his total snaps. He has also spent approximately 31% of his career snaps in the box, and the remaining 13% have seen him aligned as a cornerback or utilized as a pass rusher.
Amos should not be an intimidating addition for the other AFC East teams, as his performance has shown a consistent decline over the past two seasons, despite being only 30 years old. This previous season was particularly challenging for him, as he allowed 307 receiving yards on 44 targets, resulting in a high completion percentage of 75.0%. Alarmingly, Amos has given up twelve touchdowns in coverage over the past two seasons, which is the highest among all NFL safeties. To put that into perspective, Amos has recorded only ten interceptions throughout his eight-year career.
The signing of Amos is significant because, despite his recent decline, he was considered one of the top-ten safeties in the league just a few years ago. If he manages to experience a career resurgence, it could provide a further boost to the team's secondary. However, it is also important to acknowledge the possibility that Amos may continue to struggle and be a liability for the team. Both outcomes are plausible and should be taken into consideration.
Much of my rationale behind ranking the Jets at two stems from their cornerback duo and the belief they have the pieces to be stable elsewhere. It cannot be understated what a true, shut-down corner does for a team's secondary and the Jets have two elite cornerbacks.
Featured image via Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
