New York Jets 2019: Ranking the 53-man roster — #40 Maurice Canady

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 #40, Maurice Canady.

Call the New York Jets secondary a work in progress. Of the 12 cornerbacks brought to training camp, the only ones remaining not cut or currently injured are promising rookie Blessuan Austin and major disappointment Darryl Roberts.

Since Week 1, general manager Joe Douglas has made two moves to address that dire situation — the erratic Nate Hairston and the promising Maurice Canady.

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The latter, a 25-year-old ex-University of Virginia All-ACC cornerback taken by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, performed well when healthy.

But he spent the majority of his time in the trainer’s room, including three stints on the injured reserve (with hamstring and thigh injuries, and knee surgery) in this three-plus years, and involvement in a terrifying off-season car crash.

Canady played well enough to make the Ravens’ deep 2019 roster — and then he got waived after a terrible Week 5 showing.

One week later, he contributed big minutes for the New York Jets against their crosstown rival G-Men. And when Austin imploded against the Steelers, Gregg Williams went with Canady over Roberts

NFL insiders point out that Canady is a strong athlete with requisite size and speed, an excellent special teams gunner and a quality situational nickel-back with real gridiron IQ, equally competent against the run and in passing situations.

He may not be the nastiest man-to-man corner, but no speedy receivers get behind him, and his low center of gravity means that opposing running backs get taken out low too.

Based on their incomplete grades with only a few months in green and white, Canady and Hairston should both receive 2010 camp invites — if for no other reason than to compete against Roberts, Arthur Maulet, and Kyron Brown for the final secondary roster spots.

Just yet another reason that this will be another very interesting offseason for the New York Jets.

#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     #42 Kyron Brown     #41 Bilal Powell