NFL secondary rankings show not everyone is sold on Jets big FA signing

The New York Jets may be fresh off a down year from their once-mighty defense and still reeling from the loss of D.J. Reed in free agency, but the new additions to this team's secondary have Aaron Glenn's area of expertise once again standing out as their most proven and complete unit.

Sauce Gardner is still one of the best in the game, and the signing of Andre Cisco in free agency has added even more veteran experience to this group. However, some analysts remain unconvinced, citing the fact that the Jets took a serious financial risk with one of their big veteran additions in the offseason.

Pro Football Focus ranked the Jets as the 11th-best secondary in the league despite Gardner taking a slight step back, Michael Carter II playing far below his standard of excellence, and Reed leaving in free agency. PFF seems to be holding the Jets out of the elite tier because of one crucial move.

This could be viewed as a referendum on veteran cornerback Brandon Stephens, who signed a three-year contract with the Jets despite a poor 2024 campaign. Stephens might be what ultimately determines just how high the ceiling is for this team.

Jets secondary ranked 11th due to Brandon Stephens question

Stephens has tremendous size and athletic ability, but his last year as a starter with the Baltimore Ravens was well below average. The Ravens already landed on their replacement in Nate Wiggins, and they didn't seem too excited to bring Stephens back.

The Jets' decision to draft Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas further complicates things. While Thomas, a player many believed to be a Top 50 prospect who slid to the third round, has oodles of talent, he will likely be locked in as an outside cornerback. How will that mesh with Stephens' big contract on the books?

The Jets are banking on Glenn's ability to develop cornerbacks, as this signing likely would not have happened without Glenn convincing Darren Mougey that he had an ironclad plan of attack that could turn him around. They paid a hefty price, showing they believe that Stephens' talent is waiting to be pulled out of him.

If Stephens is what the Jets think he could be, and new additions like Cisco and rookie safety Malachi Moore hit their stride, this is a top 10 unit in the NFL. The problem is that Stephens also has the potential to wreck this unit.

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