NY Jets: 3 cornerbacks to target in the 2021 NFL Draft

If the NY Jets are going to draft a cornerback this year, there are three primary players they should target.

There were 30 cornerbacks selected in the 2007 NFL Draft and the Jets managed to draft the best one that season. With the No. 14 overall pick, New York drafted future Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis.

Revis may have won a Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots, but “Revis Island” will be forever located in New York. His first five seasons with the Jets were unbelievable.

There wasn’t a wide receiver in the NFL that could match up against Revis, as he stopped any pass that came his way. A seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time NFL first-team All-Pro, Revis is one of the best to ever play the position.

It’s almost impossible to compare any prospect, or any current player, to Revis. Richard Sherman seemed to take over that crown from him as the best cornerback in the NFL, but it was only for a short stint.

Sherman was a rarity to this fact, having been selected in the fifth round, but the majority of the best cornerbacks in the NFL are early-round picks.

Whether it’s Stephon Gilmore, Tre’Davious White, or Jalen Ramsey, the current list of the best cornerbacks in the league were highly-touted collegiate prospects.

Since the Jets hold the No. 23 and No. 34 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, it could make sense to draft a cornerback at one of those spots because the likelihood that they’ll become an everyday player is higher than some other positions.

It’s also a big need for the Jets, alongside the offensive line, pass-rush, and a few skill positions. Here are three cornerbacks that the Jets should target in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Next: 1. Jaycee Horn

1. The NY Jets could trade up for Jaycee Horn

It’s incredibly unlikely that Jaycee Horn will be available at the No. 23 selection, but if by some miracle he is, the team has to draft him. I’d bet my life savings that it’s not going to happen, so if the team wants to get him, they’ll likely have to trade up.

If you’ve been reading this website frequently, you’ve been seeing a lot of articles about Horn — and deservingly so. He’s one of the best defensive prospects in the draft and has the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler.

This may not be the best analysis on why I value Horn over other prospects, but I’ll share it regardless. Anytime an NFL, or any professional league, prospect has a parent who’s a former professional athlete, and they excelled, that gives me way more reinsurance and belief in the prospect.

It’s no disrespect to any other prospect whose parents weren’t professional athletes, but there’s something about second or third-generation talents that make them more much likely to succeed in their spot.

Horn’s father, Joe, was a very gifted wide receiver and had a long NFL career. As a result of growing up around football and learning the game with someone who played it professionally, it potentially gives him an advantage to succeed more than others.

Horn is also an unbelievable athlete and his size is incredibly appealing for a cornerback, thus the Jets would be very lucky to draft him.

He’s projected to go anywhere between No. 10 and No. 17 right now, so if the Jets want to select him, they’d have to give up the No. 23 and No. 66 picks, at the very least, to move up.

Next: 2. Greg Newsome II

2. The NY Jets could select Greg Newsome II at No. 23 overall

If the Jets don’t want to move any draft capital to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft, they may still be able to find a quality cornerback with the No. 23 position.

Projected to be a starting cornerback in the NFL, Greg Newsome II is a prospect that should be on the Jets’ radar. One of the negatives about him is unfortunately his health, as he’s yet to play a full collegiate season.

However, Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network had some positives remarks about Newsome, stating the following.

“Greg Newsome II is an exciting cornerback prospect who will offer an NFL franchise plenty of appeal as a potential starter on the perimeter. Newsome II has showcased strong ball skills and length to pair with high-end levels of flexibility and functional athleticism — that’s a blend that is going to get Newsome II drafted sooner rather than later.”

In order to succeed at the NFL level, Newsome will need to get more aggressive as another one of his flaws is that he only had one interception in college.

Interceptions don’t tell the whole story, though, as if he had unbelievable hands, then he’d probably be a wide receiver in the first place.

The Northwestern alum has a decent chance of being available when the Jets draft 23rd overall, so if he’s still on the board, don’t be shocked if Joe Douglas selects him.

Next: 3. Asante Samuel Jr.

3.  The NY Jets could trade up for Asante Samuel Jr.

Asante Samuel Jr. is slightly undersized and smaller than the other cornerbacks we spoke of, standing at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds. But that’s not too concerning.

As we previously spoke about with Jaycee Horn, Samuel is also the son of a former NFLer. Samuel’s father, Asante Samuel, was a four-time Pro Bowler at the cornerback position and two-time Super Bowl champion.

With the same bloodline as someone who was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, the Jets shouldn’t let him pass them by.

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It’s quite possible that Samuel is available with the No. 66 selection, but it’s more likely than not that he won’t. As such, the Jets could consider trading up to make sure that they can select him if they hadn’t already taken a cornerback with the No. 23 or No. 34 picks.

Robert Saleh’s defense will run a 4-3 system and could incorporate a ton of off-man coverage. And that just happens to be one of Samuel’s biggest strengths.

Not only is he great in man coverage, but his competitiveness and ability to defend the run and tackle would make him someone that Saleh would fall in love with.

If the Jets want to improve their defense quickly, the three cornerbacks we just spoke about should be able to make an impact immediately in the NFL.

Now, it’s just a matter of whether or not one of them falls into Joe Douglas’ lap, or if they make a trade to acquire one.