8 potential replacements for NY Jets safety Marcus Maye this offseason

6. The NY Jets could draft Jalen Pitre to replace Marcus Maye

Even if the Jets address the safety position in free agency, it would make sense to see them target a player in the middle rounds of the draft as well. And one such target could be Baylor's Jalen Pitre.

Much like Daxton Hill, Pitre's versatility is one of his strongest selling points. The 2021 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year was a menace around the line of scrimmage at Baylor making plays rushing the QB off the edge, lining up at nickel linebacker, in the slot, and when asked to drop back into coverage.

His size does hinder him at times as he's only 6-foot, 197 pounds. His tackling needs work and he can get bodied by larger tight ends if asked to match up 1-on-1.

Still, Pitre's athleticism and instincts give him a good foundation to build off of and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him outplay his draft stock at the next level. He's a player to keep an eye on for sure.

5. The NY Jets could draft Jordan Battle to replace Marcus Maye

Jordan Battle feels more like an Ashtyn Davis replacement than he does a Marcus Maye replacement. Even so, he's a player the Jets absolutely could look to target on Day 2.

Battle has good size for the position at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and he uses that stature to provide a platform for his superb run defense. There may not be a better tackling and run defending safety in this class as Battle frequently takes the right angles and explodes on ball carriers.

He's no slouch in coverage either with the versatility to even play a little single-high safety, even if it's not his specialty. Behind the obvious top safety in this class (more on him later), Battle is making a strong case to be considered the second-best.

If the Jets are looking for a smart zone defender who can assist with their run defense at the second and third levels, Battle might be an ideal target.