4 best-kept secrets on the NY Jets roster entering the 2022 season

1. D.J. Reed, CB, NY Jets

D.J. Reed is another player who's looking to change his reputation around the league. The former fifth-round pick never panned out as a nickel cornerback in San Francisco, but he turned his career around with the Seattle Seahawks.

After starting eight games in 2020, Reed became a full-time starting boundary cornerback in 2021, and he put together what was easily the best season of his career to that point.

Reed finished as Pro Football Focus' 10th-highest-graded cornerback with an excellent 78.6 grade. His 51.5 completion percentage allowed ranked top-10 in the NFL while his 16.2 cover snaps per target ranked fourth in the league.

He was rarely targeted, and even when he was, it typically didn't go well for opposing quarterbacks. It's that stellar play that earned him a sizable three-year, $33 million contract this offseason.

The Jets aren't asking him to be their No. 1 guy, however. That honor is expected to be reserved for Sauce Gardner who should take over that role at some point this season if all goes according to plan.

Reed was legitimately one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL last season, but his leaguewide reputation is almost nonexistent. As with any one-year success story, the only way to change that narrative is to do it again.

Look for Reed to do just that this season.