Jets must turn corner in defensive backfield

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 Gang Green’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.

Gang Green’s schedule presents a superfluity of teams with good to great receiver corps.

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.

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.

The Buccaneers — the Jets’ Week 17 opponent — have the best corps in the NFL with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown. The Panthers (Week 1) have two 1,000-yard receivers in former Jet Robby Anderson and DJ Moore. And don’t forget the Titans (Week 4) possess two physical beasts in Julio Jones and A.J Brown.

Within the division the Jets have to deal with two teams with explosive corps.

The Bills have Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley. All three can make defensive backs look silly with their route running. The Dolphins trio features DeVante Parker, Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle. Parker is the physical and contested catch receiver. Fuller and Waddle are speed demons who can unlock their inner Looney Tunes by turning into Road Runners. Sometimes they can go ‘beep beep’ into the end zone, sometimes untouched.

Tyler Boyd, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins round up the Bengals (Week 8) corps. All young and talented. Boyd has accumulated 2,915 yards over the past three seasons and Higgins, the second-year wideout, had 906 yards in his rookie season. And Chase was regarded as the best receiver prospect in the 2021 class.

The Broncos (Week 3), Falcons (Week 5), Texans (Week 12), Saints (Week 14) and Jaguars (Week 16) all have one receiver who has crossed the 1,000-yard mark recently, highlighted by Michael Thomas in New Orleans who was the 2019 offensive player of the year.

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 worth a damn, it doesn’t matter. Super Bowl LV proved that theory correct, just ask Patrick Mahomes.

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 Gang Green’s 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 HighLow 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.