Ranking the top 10 safeties in NY Jets history

The safety position is a crucial component of any successful defense, and the NY Jets have been fortunate to witness the talents of exceptional safeties throughout their storied history. From hard-hitting enforcers to ball-hawking playmakers, these safeties have significantly impacted the Jets' defense.

Like many of the other top-10 lists I have compiled over the last few weeks, one of the biggest challenges was weighing how long a player spent with the franchise compared to statistical production.

Was it better to play six seasons with the Jets but fail to reach a Pro Bowl or make an All-Pro team, or only spend three seasons here but be at peak performance?

Another difficulty when looking at the safety position was comparing strong and free safeties. The talents and production from the two spots look far different.

A successful free safety is someone patrolling the middle of the field, racking up passes defended and interceptions. However, a good strong safety might never intercept a pass but be a difference maker in the box, racking up tackles and quarterback hits.

With that said, this article will explore the top 10 safeties in New York Jets' history, celebrating their skills, leadership, and contributions to the franchise. Enjoy!

10. Eric Smith, S, NY Jets

Eric Smith played for the Jets from 2006 to 2012 and was a versatile safety who excelled in coverage and against the run. His ability to contribute in both aspects of the game made him a valuable asset to the Jets defense. Smith's consistency and reliability in the secondary solidify his place among the top safeties in franchise history.

Smith played his entire seven-season career with the Jets, finishing with 96 games and 36 starts. Drafted in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft, it's safe to say Smith left his mark on the team.

Despite never making a Pro Bowl, Smith made many contributions across his career with the Jets. In his seven seasons, Smith finished with six interceptions, 27 passes defended, four fumble recoveries, 308 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits.

Playing both strong and free safety during his career, as well as lining up in the slot or at cornerback, Smith truly displayed a lot of versatility which explains his stat-stuffing contributions. Smith, a lifelong Jet, is a great place to begin our list.

9. Darrol Ray, S, NY Jets

Darrol Ray played for the Jets from 1980 to 1984 and was known for his ball-hawking skills and playmaking ability. His ability to read quarterbacks and make interceptions provided a spark for the Jets' defense. Ray's impact on the field, particularly in creating turnovers, earns him recognition as one of the top safeties in Jets' history.

Ray was another lifelong Jet, playing all five professional seasons with the team before retiring after the 1984 season. In those five seasons, Ray played in 72 games, starting 69 of them.

Ray finished his career with 21 interceptions with the Jets, tied for ninth in Jets history. He also added three interceptions returned for touchdowns during his Jets career as well. Ray also forced three fumbles and recovered five, and returned one for a score, further proof of his "ball-hawk" status.

Ray played before tackles were officially counted as a stat, and only the last few years with sacks as a counted stat, making it impossible to compare him to others on the list who played more recently.

Nonetheless, his sheer ability to find the ball, and the endzone, on defense makes him an automatic qualifier as a top safety in team history.

8. Erik Coleman, S, NY Jets

Erik Coleman played for the Jets from 2004 to 2007 and was a reliable and steady presence in the secondary. His intelligence, tackling ability, and coverage skills made him a valuable asset to the Jets defense. Coleman's consistency and leadership qualities solidify his place among the top safeties in franchise history.

Coleman, the third consecutive drafted Jet, was selected in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He would play his first four NFL seasons with the team before leaving for Atlanta in free agency.

Coleman played strong safety for the team and was known as an extremely hard hitter, often sprinting into the box to make plays on ball carriers and tight ends. It should be no surprise that in just 63 games (49 starts) with the Jets, Coleman was able to tally 372 tackles, including eight tackles for loss.

To add to his hard-hitting nature, Coleman was also able to add seven interceptions and a fumble recovery in his four seasons with the team, good for causing multiple turnovers per year with the team. He would play another five seasons in the league, finishing with 11 interceptions, 37 passes defended, 652 tackles, and 15 tackles for loss.

7. Jim Hudson, S, NY Jets

Jim Hudson played for the Jets from 1965 to 1970 and was known for his hard-hitting style of play. His physicality and ability to deliver bone-crushing hits made him a feared presence in the secondary. Hudson's leadership and knack for making timely plays earned him a place among the top safeties in Jets' history.

Another player on the list that played his entire career with the Jets, Hudson is also the first Super Bowl winner included on the list. Hudson spent six seasons with the Jets and also earned a second-team All-Pro award in the Super Bowl-winning 1968 season.

Hudson finished his Jets career with 14 interceptions in 54 games, starting 43 of those games. In the 1968 season, by far Hudson's best, he finished with five interceptions and posted a career-high AV (approximate value, as calculated by Pro Football Reference) of 11. In the Super Bowl itself, Hudson intercepted a pass and made three tackles, aiding tremendously in the Jets' victory.

Due to the fact he not only won a Super Bowl with the franchise but also is the first safety on the list to make an All-Pro team, Hudson is more than deserving of the number seven spot on the list.

6. Kerry Rhodes, S, NY Jets

Kerry Rhodes played for the Jets from 2005 to 2009 and was a versatile safety in their defensive scheme. His athleticism, range, and coverage ability made him a valuable asset in the secondary. Rhodes recorded interceptions and provided stability and leadership to the Jets' defense during his time with the team.

To say the Jets have liked safeties in the draft would be a massive understatement. Three of the first five inclusions on this list were Eric Smith, who was drafted in the 2006 draft, Eric Coleman, who was drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft, and now Kerry Rhodes, selected in the 2005 draft.

Rhodes, a personal favorite Jets player of mine, made an immediate impact in the Jets secondary, starting all 16 games his rookie season. He would go on to play in 80 games with the Jets, including 78 starts.

In those 80 games, Rhodes tallied 420 tackles, 15 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown.

Playing a mixture of strong and free safety, Rhodes proved to be extremely versatile, making plays across the entire field. In 2006 Rhodes was named a second-team All-Pro, the only time he would earn that award in his career.

Following five seasons with the Jets, Rhodes signed with Arizona in free agency, where he would finish his career in 2012. Rhodes finished his career with 23 interceptions, 490 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits, eight forced fumbles, and 11 fumble recoveries.

5. Dainard Paulson, S, NY Jets

Dainard Paulson marks the halfway point of the list and is one of the first true "center fielders" in Jets history. Paulson had a unique ability throughout his career to range into the deep middle of the field and intercept passes from opposing quarterbacks. He finished his career just before the 1968 Super Bowl-winning team.

Paulson played all six seasons with the Jets, retiring at just 29 years old — common for the time. Paulson is also in the unique position of being one of the handful of Jets to play both as a New York Titan and as a New York Jet when the team made the switch following the 1962 season.

For his career, Paulson played in 84 games, starting 78 of them with the team. He recorded 29 career interceptions in just six seasons, and somehow that included zero interceptions in the entire 1966 season, which would be his last.

In other words, in just 70 games, Paulson managed to pick off 29 passes for a staggering .41 passes per game!

For comparison, Rod Woodson, one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time who ranks third in all-time interceptions, finished his career with 71 interceptions across 238 games, for a total of only .30 passes per game intercepted. Darrelle Revis, the greatest cornerback in Jets history, also intercepted 29 passes in his career, but he played in double the games (145) as Paulson.

If the shocking interception total wasn't enough, Paulson also made the Pro Bowl in both the 1964 and 1965 seasons and made the second-team All-Pro team in both seasons. It was in the 1964 season when he intercepted 12 passes, still the most in Jets history for a single season.

4. Bill Baird, S, NY Jets

Bill Baird, a key member of the Jets' defense during the 1960s, played for the team from 1963 to 1969. He was known for his versatility, as he could excel both as a safety and a linebacker.

Baird's toughness, range, and ability to defend the pass and run made him a respected figure in the Jets' secondary.

Baird is also the second Super Bowl-winning safety to crack the list of Jets' greats. Baird was the starting free safety for the Jets in the 1968 Super Bowl, making a difference in shutting down the Baltimore Colts offense.

Baird was one of the great free safeties not just in Jets history, but arguably all of NFL history. Across his seven seasons with the Jets, Baird managed to intercept 34 passes in just 98 games.

We won't dive into the math again, but Baird was one of the better ball-hawks on a per-game basis in NFL history.

Baird finished his Jets career with an AV (approximate value as calculated by Pro Football Reference) of 48, placing him above other Jets players on this list, including Kerry Rhodes (40), Darrol Ray (33), Jim Hudson (28), Erik Coleman (21), and Eric Smith (20).

3. Jamal Adams, S, NY Jets

And here is where the list gets controversial. Jamal Adams is probably the most polarizing Jets player of the last two decades, and although many fans remember him as the guy that demanded a trade rather than stick it out through a rebuild, Adams was a generational player for the Jets.

Adams was the sixth overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft — extraordinarily high for a safety in the modern era. However, he was certainly worth it. In his rookie season, Adams burst onto the scene, finishing with 83 tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two sacks, nine tackles for loss, and six passes defended.

Most impressive for Adams was his ability to line up all over the field, being the face of the new "positionless football" that coaches desired.

Adams could line up on tight ends in coverage, play on the line of scrimmage blitzing off the edge, or line up on passing downs as an extra linebacker. He was at his best as a downhill defender and would perfect that skill in the coming years.

Adams started to put it all together in his sophomore season. In that 2018 campaign, Adams tallied 115 tackles, three and a half sacks, nine tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, an interception, and 12 passes defended. It was good enough to earn him a trip to the Pro Bowl and a second-team All-Pro award.

His third and final season with the team came in 2019, by far his most dominant and one of the most dominant seasons for any safety in NFL history.

In just 14 games, Adams finished with 75 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, six and a half sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, seven passes defended, and an interception. He earned another Pro Bowl nomination as well as a first-team All-Pro award.

After that season things got ugly between the Jets and Adams. Adams wanted a top-of-the-market contract, based on his ability to impact the game as a pass-rusher and box tackler, as well as the leader of the team.

The Jets argued Adams was just a system fit as he struggled to cover receivers and tight ends, rarely ever intercepting passes or deflecting passes away. In the end, both sides got what they wanted.

Adams was dealt to Seattle for picks that would turn into Alijah Vera-Tucker and Garrett Wilson, while the All-Pro safety got his big payday.

One could pretty easily argue the Jets were right about Adams. He never reached the 2018/2019 pinnacle again. In three seasons with Seattle, Adams has only played in 25 games, recording 173 tackles, two interceptions, nine passes defended, one forced fumble, 9.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 17 quarterback hits.

Had he stayed with the Jets, Adams would easily be the best Jets safety in team history, bar none. Despite only playing three seasons, one could possibly argue that he still is the best safety in team history.

Nonetheless, fans will always have a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to Adams, but it's impossible to deny his ability to impact games.

2. Erik McMillan, S, NY Jets

Erik McMillan burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1988 and made an immediate impact on the Jets' defense. His ball skills, playmaking ability, and coverage skills were evident as he recorded eight interceptions in his debut season.

His knack for creating turnovers and his consistent presence in the secondary solidify his place among the top safeties in franchise history.

McMillan was another one of the Jets' draft picks, going in the third round of the 1988 NFL draft. His rookie season of 1988 was one for the books, as McMillan tallied eight interceptions in just 13 games, returning two for touchdowns as the starting free safety.

McMillan was rewarded for this dominant season, earning the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award as well as making a Pro Bowl.

McMillan wouldn't stop after that season, though, as in the following season, he would also make the Pro Bowl. In that 1989 season, McMillan intercepted six more passes and recovered two fumbles, both of which he returned for touchdowns as well as returning an interception for a touchdown.

McMillan would finish his five seasons with the Jets with 76 games played, including 52 starts, 22 interceptions, six fumble recoveries, and five sacks. More impressively, he also managed to score seven defensive touchdowns, including five interceptions returned for a score.

After leaving the Jets before the 1993 season, McMillan would never again reach his early career levels, as the 1993 season would be his last. In that year, McMillan bounced around the league playing for Cleveland, Kansas City, and Philadelphia that year.

He did not intercept a pass, recover a fumble, record a sack, or score a touchdown, appearing in only 10 games and failing to register a start.

1. Victor Green, S, NY Jets

Victor Green played for the Jets from 1993 to 2001 and was a hard-hitting safety known for his physicality and tackling ability. His leadership and reliability in the secondary made him a crucial component of the Jets' defense. Green's durability and consistency earned him the distinction of being one of the top safeties in Jets' history.

Green played nine years for the Jets after being an undrafted rookie signing before the 1993 season. He played his college ball for Akron University where he finished his playing career with nine interceptions as a hybrid safety.

Upon coming to the Jets, Green spent much of his first two seasons as a reserve player, really only playing special teams. He appeared in 27 games in the 1993 and 1994 seasons but only managed to record one sack, one fumble recovery, and a total of just 17 tackles across both seasons.

In the 1995 season, everything changed. Green appeared in all 16 games, starting 12 of them at strong safety. He finished that year with an interception, a fumble recovery, two sacks, and a staggering 137 tackles.

From there, Green was an every-down player for the next six seasons with the team. Across his nine seasons with the Jets, Green finished with 139 games played, 108 starts, 24 interceptions, 27 passes defended, seven forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries, seven sacks, 859 tackles, and eight tackles for loss.

In terms of Jets safeties, Green really is in a group of his own. His ability to not only create turnovers but also dominate the box with sacks and tackles makes him a true hybrid safety. He was as effective in the box as Jamal Adams but was also as comfortable in coverage as McMillan.

That combination made Green a phenomenal NFL safety and the best in Jets history.