8 potential replacements for NY Jets safety Marcus Maye this offseason

8. The NY Jets could draft Daxton Hill to replace Marcus Maye

If the Jets go the draft route, Michigan's Daxton Hill is an intriguing player they could look to add with one of their three Day 2 picks. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Hill is very reminiscent of a young Devin McCourty.

His versatility is a major plus and saw him be used everywhere from single-high free safety to nickel cornerback to outside corner to even as a dime cornerback. He was Michigan's swiss army knife, and that could be very useful to this Jets defense.

Hill has superb instincts in coverage which allow him to read the quarterback's eyes and make plays in zone coverage. The biggest knock on his game is his overall lack of ball skills. He finished his college career with four interceptions but could have had even more if he learned to turn his head when the ball was thrown.

That said, Hill could be a very useful chess piece in the Jets' defense and step in as a day-one starter in place of Maye.

7. The NY Jets could sign Jordan Whitehead to replace Marcus Maye

I'd expect the Jets to be very active in the safety market this free-agency period, but outside of the top names (which we will get to momentarily), there aren't many standout options.

One suitable target could be Jordan Whitehead, currently of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Whitehead is a very different type of player than Maye in that he's more of a typical box safety who packs a punch but lacks the elite coverage skills to be much more.

A former fourth-round pick, Whitehead is one of the few holdovers from the bad years of the Bucs having started 55 of 59 games since entering the league in 2018. And he's been a pretty effective player over that time.

If the Jets add a more typical free safety either in free agency or the draft, Whitehead could serve as a good complement and make for an intriguing offseason target.