The Jets have one of the weakest cornerback units in the NFL, but ironically feature one of the stronger safety duos with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
Both enter their third season in the NFL after the Jets took Adams sixth overall and Maye 39th overall in the 2017 draft. Adams is the unquestioned defensive leader of the Jets and provided some of the few positive memories of their 2018 season. Now that Maye will return healthier than he was last season, the Jets will have a solid foundation at the safety position.
Here’s how the Jets safety group looks heading into training camp.
QB RB WR TE OL DL CB
The Starters
Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye head into their third season together and could become a dominant duo once more if they both can remain healthy. Adams put in a Pro Bowl year as a second-year starter in 2018, but Maye battled multiple injuries that eventually landed him on injured reserve after Week 10.
With Gregg Williams running the show now, Adams and Maye could thrive as an aggressive, hard-hitting safety tandem under Williams’ direction. Adams finished first on the team with 86 solo tackles this past season and Maye says he’s fully healed from offseason shoulder surgery despite landing on the active/PUP list before training camp.
The Backups
Rontez Miles and Doug Middleton should once again be the primary backups for Adams and Maye. Miles’ veteran experience will continue to be big for the Jets’ secondary depth, though his value comes mostly on special teams. Middleton stepped up to start four games for Maye in 2018 and has proven to be a quality reserve in the secondary despite ending this past season on injured reserve.
Miles is actually tied for second as the longest-tenured player on the Jets roster (behind Bilal Powell and tied with Brian Winters). He enters his seventh season with the Jets, but likely won’t see much time on defense since Adams played 99.91 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps in 2018 at strong safety. Since Maye is still being worked back into football shape, Middleton could see some action early in the season if Maye isn’t up to speed on Williams’ defense yet.
Fighting For A Spot
Brandon Bryant and Santos Ramirez round out the Jets safeties headed into training camp, and neither have much of a shot at making the roster. Bryant is a 2018 undrafted free agent who will begin training camp on the active/PUP list, while Ramirez is a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Arkansas.
Bryant spent the 2018 season on the Jets practice squad, while Ramirez is a 6-foot-2, 204-pound safety who had a career-high 87 tackles in 2018 and caught three interceptions and forced five fumbles in his career at Arkansas.
The Jets opened the 2018 season with five safeties on the roster, so there could theoretically be an open spot behind Adams, Maye, Miles and Middleton. Whether Bryant or Ramirez will do enough in camp to justify keeping a fifth safety on the roster remains to be seen, though.
Final Analysis
Adams is obviously a stud and Maye has the potential to be special if he can stay healthy. This season will be crucial to the duo’s development, especially with a new defensive coordinator in Williams.
With the Jets’ cornerback situation tenuous, the team will need to rely on Adams and Maye to cover the passing game deep downfield. Adams and Maye are fantastic tacklers, so the Jets should be secure in the middle of the field when it comes to covering tight ends, stopping screen passes and disrupting run plays.
Miles and Middleton are capable backups, but the Jets would rather their starters stay on the field as much as possible. Maye’s health will be closely monitored this summer, as the Jets cannot afford for him to miss as much time as he did in 2018, especially with Darryl Roberts (who played free safety when Maye and Middleton went on IR) now taking over as the team’s second cornerback.
