Jets' Week 1 loss made one rookie's starting opportunity feel inevitable

Heading into the 2025 season, one of the concerns on the New York Jets' defense was how the safety room would perform. New York rounded out their starting safeties by signing Andre Cisco and tendering Tony Adams.

In Sunday's heartbreaking 34-32 loss against the Steelers, the Jets' secondary struggled mightily. One of the biggest culprits was Tony Adams.

Adams finished Sunday's game as the lowest graded Jet with a 39.4 Pro Football Focus grade. The fourth-year safety also tallied a 41.9 coverage grade and a 38.3 tackling grade, which was highlighted by an embarrassing missed tackle on DK Metcalf.

Unfortunately for the Jets, this isn't the first time Adams has struggled. Since entering the league in 2022 and assuming a starting role in 2023, Adams has had consistent struggles in both coverage and tackling.

With the Bills coming to town on Sunday, the Jets shouldn't waste any time. Malachi Moore should get a starting opportunity.

Malachi Moore should start over Tony Adams following Jets' Week 1 loss

The Jets selected Malachi Moore in the fourth round of this year's draft after trading up 15 spots with the Eagles. Moore comes with a lot of college experience, as he spent five seasons with Alabama, including four of those under head coach Nick Saban.

As a freshman, Moore started for the Crimson Tide, where he played 707 defensive snaps on his way to playing 3,121 total defensive snaps in his collegiate career. The Alabama product was considered by many as a steal for New York when he fell to the fourth round.

While Moore's 4.57 40-yard dash and 5-foot-11 height, which ranked in the 40th percentile among defensive back prospects in the 2025 draft, resulted in him falling, his play speaks for itself.

The soon-to-be 24-year-old played 64 games across his five seasons at Alabama, where he registered 212 total tackles, seven interceptions, and 24 passes defended. Moore's ability in coverage is what has separated him from the rest.

In 12 games played last season, the Alabama product finished with a career high 89.4 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. Moore also posted a career-best 51.0 passer rating allowed while holding opposing quarterbacks to a staggering 43.3% completion percentage and two interceptions.

The rookie safety didn't disappoint against the run either. Moore finished with a strong 75.5 run defense grade while tallying just five missed tackles for a career-best 6.8% missed tackle rate.

Moore took his success in college and was able to carry it into training camp and the preseason. Moore's 84.2 PFF grade was the highest among all Jets in the preseason, which was highlighted by his stellar 92.1 PFF grade against the Eagles in a game where he hauled in an interception.

Everyone knows what Tony Adams is at this point in his career. Sunday was not an outlier; Adams has put together performances like that in the past. Malachi Moore deserves a chance to prove what he can do.

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