Brandon Stephens saw Mory Bamba's Jets preseason breakout coming

One of the most welcome surprises of the New York Jets' preseason opener was undrafted free agent cornerback Mory Bamba, who burst onto the scene in a dominating performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Receiving ample playing time thanks to injuries to Jets cornerbacks Nahshon Wright and Qwan'tez Stiggers, Bamba played nearly the entire game, barring the time he missed when he was being evaluated for a concussion.

Pro Football Focus gave him an 89.1 coverage grade for his breakout performance, and he recorded three pass breakups, two run stops, and one pressure. The former BYU standout is continuing to make a push for a spot on the Jets' 53-man roster.

While most fans likely didn't see Bamba's standout performance coming ahead of the preseason opener, veteran cornerback Brandon Stephens did and is incredibly proud of his young teammate.

Brandon Stephens describes what he's seeing from New York Jets rookie Mory Bamba

The veteran cornerback spoke with reporters the morning after the 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay and revealed how he called his shot ahead of Bamba's breakout performance.

"Bamba, every day he comes in, he's ready to learn and whatnot, and it's funny 'cause before the game I told him, 'You gonna have a hell of a game,' and he went out there and did it... He definitely played his heart out, and it was encouraging to see. We were all happy for him and hyping him up when he came to the sideline."

While it's always an uphill climb for any undrafted free agent to make the final 53-man roster, Bamba can continue to make the decision more difficult for the Jets with these preseason performances.

When examining the Jets' current depth chart at cornerback, it's unfortunately a bit far-fetched that Bamba could beat out any of the other incumbent defensive backs for a roster spot.

There are several locks at cornerback for New York's 53-man roster. Stephens, Wright, Azareye'h Thomas, Stiggers, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., and D'Angelo Ponds are all expected to have roles in the Jets' secondary, meaning Bamba's best hope of staying is on the practice squad.

The problem is that, especially if Bamba continues these outstanding performances throughout the preseason, the Jets may not get the chance to stash him on their practice squad. He may just end up getting scooped up after roster cutdowns.

For now, Jets fans should appreciate the diamond in the rough find from the front office, and enjoy it for as long as they can.

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