Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker would provide instant upgrades for Jets

After a miserable season defending opposing passing attacks, the New York Jets are in desperate need of defensive secondary help. They should be taking a good look at the top two safeties in the 2017 NFL Draft, Jamal Adams, and Malik Hooker.

Coming into the 2016-2017 NFL season, the New York Jets were expected to have one of the better secondaries in the league. With cornerback Darrelle Revis coming off of a Pro Bowl season along with other talented players such as the safety tandem of Marcus Gilchrist and Calvin Pryor, the possibilities seemed endless.

As usual with the Jets, though, things didn’t go as planned and the unit was back to their struggling ways. Now, the Jets will be looking to add more talent to their secondary in any way possible, and the 2017 NFL Draft could be the perfect route to do so.

There are plenty of talented defensive backs in this year’s draft class, but there are only a few that truly stand out towards the very top. Two of the players in that select group play the safety position, and they should both be on the Jets’ radar. These players are Jamal Adams out of Louisiana State and Malik Hooker out of Ohio State.

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Adams is easily one of the most well-rounded and polished defensive draft prospects that we have seen in the last few years. He played at both the free and strong safety position during his time at LSU as he has the tremendous versatility to be able to do so.

Adams has great speed, strength, and physicality. His mental instincts are phenomenal as he is always around the football, and he does a great job of reading the quarterback’s eyes to make plays.

As previously mentioned, his versatility is something that will make him extremely effective at the next level as well. He’s fantastic in run support, but he is also nearly flawless in coverage against tight ends, running backs, and slot receivers.

Hooker is a different player from Adams as he is more of a true free safety, but his talent level is certainly not much worse. He is an athletically gifted ball hawk who has the ability to change the game by making a spectacular play.

Hooker’s range is fantastic as he can cover a great amount of ground on his way towards a pass breakup or interception. When he has the opportunity to make an interception, he almost always comes down with it as he has very soft hands and a knack for getting turnovers. He also has the uncanny ability to turn an interception into points as he displays great vision along with his speed and athleticism on his returns.

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Both Hooker and Adams would be very welcomed additions to the porous Jets secondary. They would be instant game changers and leaders on Gang Green’s defense.