The New York Jets disappointed in most areas during the 2024 season. Their run game had the second-fewest yards in football, their pass game ranked 10th-worst in net yards per attempt, and their run defense allowed the fifth-most touchdowns.
However, their vaunted pass defense was still formidable, at least according to some metrics. The Jets allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (192.6), the fifth-fewest net yards per attempt (5.8), and the second-fewest passing touchdowns (18).
With numbers like that, Jets fans might be disappointed with PFF’s ranking of the New York secondary going into the 2025 season.
Ranking all 32 secondaries in the NFL, PFF placed the Jets 11th.
- Baltimore Ravens
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos
- Houston Texans
- New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions
- Chicago Bears
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Indianapolis Colts
- New York Jets
- Seattle Seahawks
While it seems low compared to the aforementioned metrics, this is a fair ranking for the Jets.
Despite their solid placement in various box-score metrics related to pass defense, the Jets were much less efficient at defending the pass than those numbers let on. They ranked 21st in pass defense DVOA, per FTN Fantasy.
The discrepancy between New York’s raw pass defense metrics and their pass defense DVOA existed for multiple reasons.
Firstly, the Jets played an easy schedule of opposing offenses – the league’s seventh-easiest, based on DVOA. Additionally, the Jets often racked up pass defense stats in garbage time as opponents protected their leads against a woeful 5-12 team. This made the Jets look good in terms of preventing passing yardage, but DVOA accounts for this context, revealing their true level of play throughout the game.
New York’s depleted pass rush contributed to that ranking, but the secondary also played a part. The two units deserved equal blame for the Jets’ fall from an elite pass defense to a below-average one.
Coming off a 21st-ranked finish in pass defense DVOA, the Jets’ secondary does not deserve a top 10 placement. However, they are due for a major rebound, which is why it makes sense for PFF to still include them in the upper half.
Sauce Gardner remains one of the three best cornerbacks in football, and he is due for a bounce-back year after seeing his production dip in 2024. The Jets also have one of the league’s best slot cornerbacks in Michael Carter II, but he was either absent or playing through an injury for the entire 2024 season.
Gardner and Carter II give the Jets’ secondary a very high floor. They alone make the Jets’ secondary more talented than many in the league.
While the Jets have the ceiling to return to their heights as one of the best secondaries in the NFL, they need to answer some questions first. They lost D.J. Reed in free agency, and his replacement, Brandon Stephens, allowed the second-most yards among cornerbacks last year. Stephens is a great fit in the Jets’ defense and has potential for a bounce-back year, but he is already 27 years old and still needs development with basic aspects of the position.
If Stephens struggles, the Jets have a talented insurance policy in Azareye’h Thomas, their third-round pick in this year’s draft. Many analysts believe Thomas should have been selected much earlier in the draft.
At safety, the Jets added a solid starter in Andre Cisco, who should bring some extra takeaways to a defense that only picked off seven passes last year. However, the starting spot beside him is a question mark. Players like Tony Adams and fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore will compete for the role.
An 11th-ranked placement makes sense for the Jets’ secondary. They have perhaps the best cornerback in the sport and one of its best slot corners. That’s enough on its own for this to be an above-average unit, but with question marks elsewhere and a down year in the rearview, the Jets cannot go any higher than 11th just yet. Some might argue that even No. 11 is too ambitious until we see Gardner and Carter II rebound.
But if Stephens bounces back, Cisco racks up a hefty chunk of interceptions, and the Jets can find a solid starter at the other safety spot, they certainly have the pieces to once again establish themselves as an elite secondary.
That’s a lot of “ifs,” though.
