Forgotten Jets offseason addition gets major praise amid push for CB2 role

The New York Jets spent big money at pretty much every position on the defensive side of the ball in the 2026 offseason, but their most impressive move might have been landing a possible starting cornerback in former Chicago Bears breakout star Nahshon Wright for pennies on the dollar. If he plays as he did in Chicago, the Wright signing could turn out to be the best move that Darren Mougey made in the last few months.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell went into detail about his favorite and least-favorite moves the Jets made this offseason. While he wasn't very complimentary of the Dylan Parham signing, citing some struggles against elite interior pass rushers, he thinks Wright could be a game-changer for the Jets' defense.

Wright was called the best addition the Jets made in the offseason, citing the fact that they got someone who almost led the league in interceptions for dirt cheap and the lack of talent in the secondary after the Sauce Gardner trade. Even though Barnwell is more down on Brandon Stephens and Azareye'h Thomas than most Jets fans, optimism in Wright is not that outrageous.

Jets CB Nahshon Wright ranked as best offseason move by ESPN

Wright finally got the chance he was looking for after years of injuries and sparse playing time as a backup, and he made the most of it by intercepting five passes. He also made strides as a tackler. However, there's a reason he basically had to take a prove-it deal after last year.

Wright plays a very risky style of football that can lead to him getting burned when he gambles. Wright was near the top of the league in touchdowns allowed, and the NFL seems to believe that his interception luck will regress back to the mean. Hence, his cheap contract with the Jets.

While the Jets have said second-round rookie D'Angelo Ponds will get some reps on the outside, he will likely be limited to the slot primarily due to his size. Stephens and Thomas need to play on the outside, meaning that Wright needs to beat out one of those two to get on the field regularly.

If Thomas proves to have validated the pre-Draft questions about his speed and fails to cement himself as someone who can be a long-term starter on defense, Wright will be able to step in and show the rest of the league they made a huge mistake by forcing him to take an exceedingly cheap deal.

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