NY Jets draft Duke CB Michael Carter II in the fifth round

The NY Jets have drafted Duke cornerback Michael Carter II in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it isn’t the first Michael Carter the Jets have drafted today.

With their first pick of Day 3, the Jets selected North Carolina running back Michael Carter with the 107th overall pick. One round later, the Jets have added another Michael Carter, only this time it’s Michael Carter II.

The draft is weird.

Nonetheless, Carter (the cornerback) fills a massive need at cornerback for the Jets and marks the second defensive player the team has selected in the draft.

The NY Jets added secondary help in Michael Carter II

The Jets opted to use their first four picks of the 2021 NFL Draft on the offensive side of the ball adding BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore, and the first Michael Carter.

Since then, they’ve added a pair of defensive players in the form of Auburn safety/linebacker Jamien Sherwood and now Duke cornerback Michael Carter.

Carter is undersized at just 5-foot-9, 184 pounds leading many to believe that he’ll be a slot-exclusive player at the next level. However, at Duke, he played everywhere from slot corner to outside corner to even safety.

The 22-year-old was a three-year starter in college and was voted third-team All-ACC in his senior season. He was also a team captain and a standout special-teamer in all four years.

Both Sherwood and Carter were special-teams stars in college showing a renewed focus on the Jets’ special-teams unit. That should make special teams coordinator Brant Boyer a happy man.

Carter is a physical, tough cornerback who is a willing tackler in the slot, but his lack of size will hold him back in the NFL. This pick is certainly an interesting one — and one that many will see as a reach.

It also puts into question what the Jets will do at the nickel cornerback spot with now both Javelin Guidry and Carter under contract. Do they still target a veteran in someone like Brian Poole? Or do they roll with the young guys?

Only time will tell. But for now, the Jets have added their second Michael Carter of the draft. And in doing so, history has been made.