NY Jets Post-2021 NFL Draft State of the Roster: Cornerbacks

Javelin Guidry, CB, NY Jets

One of the most unheralded young players on the entire Jets roster is second-year cornerback Javelin Guidry. And the 4.20 speedster out of Utah didn't take a straight line to make his dash onto the Jets roster.

As an undrafted player, Guidry missed the cut at the end of training camp and then barely squeezed his way onto the practice squad last September before eventually making his way onto the active roster a month later. 

By season's-end, Guidry would receive the second-highest grade (73.1) by Pro Football Focus of all the cornerbacks on the Jets' roster. Guidry was proof positive that good things could emerge from bad situations.

And the Jets' 2020 season was as bad as it gets. 

Quite frankly, players like Javelin Guidry will often slip through the cracks and never get a chance to showcase their skills and play in the NFL.

But in a situation like the Jets had last year, injuries and ineptitude afforded young players like Guidry a shot and he came out the other side with flying colors. 

The most surprising element to Javelin Guidry's play in 2020 was his physicality. He played in 11 games (two starts) for the green and white, finishing the season with four forced fumbles and 22 tackles.

With Brian Poole going down with an injury last season, Guidry saw most of his action covering receivers in the slot, and he held up to the challenge very well.

With an entirely new defensive scheme and so many rookies coming in to compete at cornerback, there are no guarantees that Guidry will be able to repeat what he did as a rookie or that he will figure prominently in the Jets nickel defense.

But the Jets' new staff had to like what they saw from Guidry on tape in 2020. 

Although Robert Saleh and his defensive coaches have a history of seeking out big physical corners for their system, they also have a positive history with players like the 5-foot-10, 188-pound Jason Verrett. 

Javelin Guidry will have to prove himself all over again in 2021, but the burner is off to a flying start as a Jet.