Jamal Adams expects Jets defense to be ready by Week One

There are certainly some concerns surrounding the New York Jets defense but safety Jamal Adams expects the unit to be well prepared come Week 1.

Last season, the New York Jets defense was expected to be the team’s strong point. That, however, didn’t exactly turn out to be the case, as the unit was often wildly inconsistent, leading Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams to infamously say that the team was in need of more “dogs”.

And as far as Adams is concerned this year, he said the unit will be ready come the season opener, via NewYorkJets.com:

“We’re still getting better. Obviously we have the Saints coming in and that’s going to be a hell of a matchup. They’re a well-talented group and we’re looking forward to that matchup. We’re still working to get to our goal. We’re not there yet as a defense, but in three weeks, we’ll be ready.”

Well, the organization did its best to bolster the defense in the off-season, signing highly touted linebacker C.J. Mosley to a lucrative contract and selecting defensive lineman Quinnen Williams with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Despite these promising additions, however, there are still some concerns surrounding the unit halfway through the pre-season and heading into the 2019 regular season. For example, many have discussed the Jets lack of depth and experience in the secondary and with cornerback Trumaine Johnson dealing with a lingering injury, that concern has only continued to heighten.

In addition, the Jets still don’t have a bonafide edge rusher, as third-round pick Jachai Polite is expected to need a bit of time to develop. Because of that, the Jets will need to rely on creating pressure from the interior, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do. That task could be made more difficult given that Leonard Williams has also been dealing with some setbacks of his own.

And finally, linebacker Avery Williamson, who was signed prior to the start of the 2018 season and performed well for the team last year, just recently tore his ACL and will be out for the season.

Ultimately, a lack of depth at multiple positions and unfortunate luck with injuries could make it a bit difficult for the Jets to find success on the defensive side of the ball moving forward. With the addition of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, however, perhaps the unit will be able to get creative.

With the recent string of setbacks that the Jets have been forced to deal with it, it’s certainly a promising sign that Adams is confident in the way things will play out. With the overall success of the Jets in mind, here’s to hoping the 23-year-old is correct.