NY Jets continue to crush free agency signing S Jordan Whitehead

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Jordan Whitehead / Mike Ehrmann/GettyImages

The NY Jets continue to push all the right buttons in free agency. Their latest signing saw them agree to terms on a two-year, $14.5 million deal with safety Jordan Whitehead.

They may have missed out on Marcus Williams, but that didn't stop the Jets from adding another young defensive back to their secondary. Whitehead is a good player who could get even better during his time with the Jets.

At just 24-years-old (he turns 25 in a few days), Whitehead is an ascending player whose best football might still be ahead of him. And the Jets managed to get him at a relative bargain of a price with some estimations having him closer to $9-10 million per season.

Whitehead was probably the best second-tier safety on the market. This is another excellent signing for Joe Douglas and company.

The NY Jets make another wise signing in Jordan Whitehead

A fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Whitehead almost immediately assumed a starting role in Tampa Bay. The Pittsburgh product started 11 games as a rookie and has started all but five games over the last three seasons.

He's primarily a prototypical strong safety who does his best work in the box. While he's not exactly a liability in coverage, the strength of Whitehead's game is definitely in run defense.

Whitehead is tied for fifth with Malcolm Jenkins among all safeties in tackles for loss since he entered the league with 22 over the last four years. On top of that, he's an excellent fit for the Jets' defensive scheme as a zone-coverage specialist.

The following numbers show just how effective Whitehead has been in zone coverage as compared to man coverage.

You won't want to ask Jordan Whitehead to man up much but he was a force in zone last year

Ranks out of 65 safeties

Man:
- 155.8 passer rating allowed (64th)
- 48.4 PFF coverage grade (60th)

Zone:
- 51.8 passer rating allowed (6th)
- 81.8 PFF coverage grade (4th)#Jets
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Whitehead should immediately be able to step into the role that Marcus Maye filled last season. He's a downhill thumper in run defense who is a heat-seeking missile in the open field. It's that very trait that allows him to excel as much as he does in zone coverage.

The Jets manage to land another young defensive back for below market value. It's hard to have imagined this free-agency period going any better for Joe Douglas' team.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.