Following a rocky start from their secondary to begin the 2025 season, the New York Jets turned to the trade market for answers, acquiring 24-year-old cornerback Jarvis Brownlee from the Tennessee Titans in a surprise trade.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, head coach Aaron Glenn lauded general manager Darren Mougey and his staff for facilitating the move.

“I give a lot of credit to Moug (general manager Darren Mougey) and his staff,” Glenn said. “Any time there’s an opportunity to improve your team, you have to take a look at it.”

Glenn praised Brownlee for being a player who matches the Jets’ style of play.

“He’s a guy we looked at coming out of Louisville,” Glenn said of Brownlee. “He’s aggressive, he’s a hard worker, he plays the brand of football that we believe in, so it was a no-brainer as far as bringing him on the team.”

The Jets’ newest corner also got a chance to speak to the New York media for the first time.

“I take a lot of pride in that,” Brownlee said regarding his tackling. “They say there’s not a lot of corners in the NFL that loves to hit or likes contact. Me, I’m a different breed. I think I play the game through pain.

“For me, I just love hitting. I love making the opponent feel me. I don’t wanna take the hit, so I’d rather be the one that delivers it. I take big pride in that. When I’m out there, I feel like me missing a tackle just puts a grudge in my heart. And I feel some type of way about that. I take pride in being a top tackler as a cornerback.”

The Jets acquired Brownlee alongside a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-rounder.

A fifth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2024 NFL draft, Brownlee brings starting experience to New York as a young corner. Brownlee appeared in 19 games over two seasons, starting 16. He totaled 92 tackles, including nine behind the line of scrimmage, along with 10 pass breakups and an interception.

At 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Brownlee endured a rocky rookie campaign when in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks completed 55 of 81 passes thrown his way, a 67.9% clip, for 663 yards and four touchdowns. He picked off one pass but was flagged nine times.

Where Brownlee stood out was against the run. He ranked 12th among cornerbacks with 11 run stops and drew a strong 77.7 grade from Pro Football Focus.

The early returns in 2025 tell a similar story. Over the first two games, he surrendered eight completions on 10 targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. Yet, Brownlee has again been stout in run support, tying for the league lead among cornerbacks with five run stops and raising his PFF run defense grade to 83.5.

Used primarily on the boundary (78% of his career snaps), Brownlee has also seen occasional work in the slot, an area where Glenn alluded the Jets could use the 24-year-old when asked about his potential role.

The Jets may have to wait a bit longer for Brownlee’s debut. Currently dealing with an ankle injury, Glenn announced that Brownlee’s injury status is “week to week.”