NY Jets: 4 more free agents who would improve the roster

2. The NY Jets could sign CB Darqueze Dennard

The pool of free-agent cornerbacks remains the deepest on the market, but most of the attention has gone to the likes of Steven Nelson and Richard Sherman — understandably so.

But if the Jets don't want to spend on either Nelson or Sherman, they could likely save a little money and still make a valuable veteran addition in Darqueze Dennard.

A former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014, Dennard hasn't quite lived up to his expectations coming out of college as the Jim Thorpe Award winner. But he's put together a solid career nonetheless.

After six seasons with the Bengals, Dennard spent the 2020 season with the Atlanta Falcons starting six of eight games while dealing with a hamstring injury. However, in his limited playing time, he played well.

Dennard finished with a PFF grade of 66.0 that ranked 45th in the NFL. In fact, that was his lowest grade since the 2016 season — he's been an under-the-radar good cornerback for quite some time now.

The Jets could really use a veteran addition on the boundary and Dennard could be someone to challenge Blessuan Austin for one of the starting outside cornerback jobs.

He's not Steven Nelson or Richard Sherman, but Darqueze Dennard is the next-best cornerback option remaining on the open market.