FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- In simplest terms, an NFL secondary has two jobs: prevent big plays and create them. The New York Jets did neither last season. They gave new meaning to "E-ZPass," prompting an offseason overhaul on the back end of their defense. They have some new starters and a new swag.
"I think it's special," said cornerback D.J. Reed, who signed with the Jets after playing for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. "We have the guys to do more than just get the job done. I think we can dominate. As far as the cornerbacks, I feel like it's the best group I've been a part of."
After finishing 30th in passing yards allowed and 30th in interceptions, the Jets added two established starters in Reed and safety Jordan Whitehead, who said this group reminds him of his previous secondary -- with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he also helped win a Super Bowl in 2020.
"We've got everything we need -- the ability, the toughness, the smartness -- to play this game," he said. "So there's no doubt we should be the best group."
Big talk, even for June.
While Whitehead and Reed bring experience, the player who can make the biggest difference is rookie cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, drafted fourth overall. The Jets, who haven't had a lockdown corner since Darrelle Revis' heyday (circa 2010), could use Gardner in a Revis-like role because of his sticky coverage skills in man-to-man.
ESPN analyst Matt Bowen, a former NFL safety who has studied Gardner on tape, says he believes the former Cincinnati star is ideal in the Jets' zone-based scheme as the backside corner versus 3-by-1 formations. In other words, Gardner could be on an island, matched against the opponents' top receiver.
"That boundary X receiver is an offensive weapon in today's NFL, a player like [wide receiver] Mike Evans or a tight end like Travis Kelce," Bowen said. "They want to isolate that player to the boundary to create the matchup they want. Within that zone defense, when you have a player like Sauce -- who has press-man ability, has a long frame, is ultracompetitive and plays with a swagger -- that's where you lock into the back side.
"... When you draft someone like Sauce and you put him in [coach] Robert Saleh's scheme, there are ways to gain a tactical defensive advantage because of his skill set as a matchup corner."
Gardner is bound to have growing pains -- technically, he's not even a starter yet -- but he should develop to a point where certain coverage schemes can be designed around him, as Bowen described. The Jets are known as a zone team, but they played the fourth-highest rate of Cover 1 -- man coverage with a single-high safety -- per ESPN Stats & Information research. That, too, should be ideal for Gardner.
It didn't matter what coverage they dialed up last season; everything was a struggle. With second-year player Bryce Hall and rookie Brandin Echols at corner, and with two revolving doors at safety, the Jets surrendered 73 pass plays of at least 20 yards, second worst in the league. Keep in mind, the foundation of the Saleh/Jeff Ulbrich defense is to limit explosive plays.
Even when the coverage was good, they couldn't make plays on the ball. They failed to intercept a single pass on 75 tight-window throws (less than 1 yard separation) with no pressure on the quarterback, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. No team defended that many without an interception. By comparison, the Dallas Cowboys faced 69 passes under the same circumstances, and they picked off eight. Go figure.
All told, the Jets' secondary made only five interceptions. That's not a winning formula, regardless of scheme.
In free agency, they invested in Reed (three years, $33 million) and Whitehead (two years, $14.5 million) even though they're not known as ball hawks. Neither one has more than two interceptions in a season, and Whitehead was removed by the Bucs on some third downs, which "frustrated" him. Maybe the scheme change will yield more takeaways.
On-the-ball production and physical intimidation are absolute musts for any elite secondary, according to Bowen, who says Whitehead's toughness can help the Jets create an identity. They haven't had a player like that since safety Jamal Adams, whom they traded to the Seahawks in the summer of 2020.
"That's why you go out and pay someone [like] Jordan Whitehead," Bowen said. "You need a tone-setter in the secondary. I don't care if it's high school football on Friday nights, you have to have that guy on the field because it [can] change the flow of the game."
Reed can be that guy, too. He's a smaller player (5-foot-9) who plays with such ferocity that "you can almost hear him grunting on tape," Saleh said.
Reed and Hall are working with the starters in practice, but Gardner's promotion is inevitable. The other projected starters are Lamarcus Joyner (free safety) and Michael Carter II (nickel).
The Jets will need a strong secondary to survive a gauntlet of elite quarterbacks on their schedule -- Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen (twice), Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.
General manager Joe Douglas called cornerback one of the most improved areas on the team, saying there's "a lot of depth and a lot of quality players. Almost every one of our corners has played meaningful reps, minus the rookie."
That rookie with the catchy nickname is the key to it all.