Unproven cornerbacks will be in spotlight

NEW YORK — Here’s what’s on the menu for the Jets defense this season: A few former All-Pros, plenty of Pro Bowlers and a plethora of 1,000-yard receivers.

Receivers scheduled to play the Jets this season probably see New York’s secondary situation and think it’s time to eat.

So that means, going into training camp, the position group that needs to develop the most is their unheralded group of cornerbacks.

Sure, the defense should be improved from last year’s ineffectiveness with a new scheme and added talent in the front seven. But if the corners consistently struggle in coverage, it won’t matter on some Sundays.

Among the players the Jets will rely on at the position include Bless Austin, Bryce Hall, Corey Ballentine and rookie Jason Pinnock, a Windsor, Conn., native.

In 13 of their 17 games, the Jets will face a team that has had a receiver go over 1,000 yards for a single season in the past two years.

Some have multiple. Other teams have the potential for multiple 1,000-yard receivers.

But here’s the good news. Football isn’t 7-on-7 and the battle in the trenches usually dictates the flow of the game.

That works in the Jets favor because of their strong defensive line that could obliterate offensive lines and wreak havoc on quarterbacks. A team can have weapons galore, but if their offensive line can’t block, it doesn’t matter.

So if the Jets can consistently execute up front, it’ll take the pressure off the secondary. But it’s not as simple as that. There are ways for offensive coordinators to counter a strong defensive line.

A quick passing game that features slants, curls, digs, pick routes and mesh concepts will allow quarterbacks to get the ball out fast. Providing extra protection with tight ends and running backs will allow receivers more time to shake free on longer routes and moving the pocket gives QBs a quick High-Low read.

Being effective enough in the run game that it forces new head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to put an extra man in the box. That would allow play action to be most efficient with crossers, deep routes like corners and posts which could lead to explosive plays.

And another thing, what about when the defensive line doesn’t generate pressure? That’ll leave the Jets corners on an island and they have to hold up in coverage during those moments. Because Saleh’s desire is to make the quarterbacks hold the ball as they go through their reads with the hopes of his defensive line eventually getting to the QB.

But for quarterbacks to hitch, the Jets secondary has to force that with good coverages. It’s a working marriage.

For example, Saleh’s 2019 NFC champion San Francisco defense had a dominant defensive line in Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford and DeForest Buckner. But what propelled them to reach their potential was a strong secondary with Jimmie Ward, Richard Sherman, Emmanuel Moseley and Jaquiski Tartt.

The Jets secondary doesn’t have to reach that level, but development throughout training camp is a must.

The Jets need their corners to expedite their development. If not, there will be games when the secondary costs victories.