Brandon Stephens embracing leadership role amongst young Jets cornerbacks

Stephens finds himself the oldest at his position.

Charlie Baduini

New York Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens / John Jones-Imagn Images

When the New York Jets signed cornerback Brandon Stephens as a free agent last year, there was a collection of moans and groans from the Green & White faithful about the new regime's first marquee free agent signing.

A three-year, $36 million contract for a player who was never quite the starting caliber cornerback he was hoped to be in Baltimore? Jets fans were not happy.

Despite the concerns, Stephens turned in a fairly solid first campaign with the Jets. He wasn't elite or anything, but he was steady for a defense that wasn't very stable anywhere else on that side of the football.

Now, entering year two of his Jets tenure, Stephens finds himself as the most experienced cornerback on the depth chart, and he seems to be embracing it.

Brandon Stephens facing new challenge as leader of young Jets CBs

The former third-round pick finds himself in a room with a 21-year-old Azareye'h Thomas and a 21-year-old D'Angelo Ponds. The youngsters have been looking to him as a role model, and Stephens is accepting it.

"The guys, you know, they call me OG, which is crazy. You know, it's year six for me, and I'm like, am I really OG?"
Brandon Stephens

Unfortunately for Stephens, yes, he is OG. Whether he likes it or not, he's seen the most NFL action of any cornerback on the Jets roster, and he is going to have to impart any wisdom he can.

"I'm stepping into a role where I'm one of the leaders on the defense, in the DB room... I don't take that role lightly. Just being able to coach the young guys, help the young guys out. Whether that's learning the defense or like a technique that I would use in this scenario, or whatnot. It's been awesome for me."
Brandon Stephens

Stephens certainly has a thing or two to teach the young Jets corners. Despite not being an elite player, the 28-year-old has made a solid career for himself.

Last year, Stephens graded out as the 38th-best cornerback in football per Pro Football Focus, including the 18th-best run-defending cornerback.

In 2026, the Jets will be relying on Stephens to once again be a stabilizing force in their secondary. Hopefully, he'll be a stabilizing force for the other young defenders as well.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.