New York Jets 2019: Ranking the 53-man roster — #42 Kyron Brown

As another lost New York Jets season unfolds, it’s time to evaluate this 53-man roster from top to bottom. Let’s start this daily ranking with #42, Kyron Brown.

The New York Jets previous general manager Mike Maccagnan had some brutal drafts, but he did make a few nice undrafted free agent moves, most notably wide receiver Robby Anderson.

2019’s fruitful undrafted free agent crop yielded cornerback Kyron Brown, defensive lineman Kyle Phillips, and IR’d practice squad wide receiver Jeff Smith.

There’s a lot to like about Brown. He’s a weight-room warrior, motivated and tenacious enough to excel man-to-man, with the gridiron IQ to excel in zone schemes.

He played in all 51 games of his four-year Akron Zips career, including all 26 of his final two seasons. The team captain, Defensive MVP, and Iron Zip award winner flashed minimal collegiate stats (six career INTs) because no opponents dared throw his way.

Brown was considered draft-worthy. But then he reportedly did not excel at the NFLPA Bowl and was not invited to the Combine. The Jets made a strong offer and he quickly impressed this organization.

One reason Brown made this roster was his special teams abilities, particularly his downfield kick coverage skills. He started the year on the practice squad, got promoted on November 13th, and saw action in three games.

Then when Arthur Maulet went down, Brown made his first NFL start on December 8th against the Miami Dolphins. Five tackles and one deflection later, he got carried off the MetLife turf with a season-ending quad strain.

Think about it: Brown never missed a snap in his life. Then, on the big stage, he barely lasted an hour!

Expect the Jets to bring Brown back to Florham Park to compete in next season’s training camp. And expect the cornerback to continue impressing Adam Gase and Gregg Williams.

#53 Trumaine Johnson      #52 Ryan Kalil      #51 Kelechi Osemele      #50 Quinnen Williams     #49 Chuma Edoga     #48 Frankie Luvu      #47 Sam Ficken     #46 Nate Hairston     #45 Brandon Shell     #44  Jordan Willis     #43 Vyncint Smith