Since the moment he was signed, cornerback Brandon Stephens has been among the most scrutinized additions of the Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey era.

After a brutal 2024 season in coverage with the Baltimore Ravens, the Jets signed Stephens to a three-year, $36 million contract. It was a move that instantly raised quite a few eyebrows.

The Jets wanted physical corners that would fit Glenn’s man scheme. In terms of measurables, Stephens’ physical profile was a perfect match. He has the length and speed to match up with receivers in man, and is also excellent against the run.

Unfortunately, Stephens’ strengths have been mitigated by his inability to make plays on the ball. Before joining the Jets, Stephens only had 16 pass breakups and two interceptions on 300 career targets.

However, Glenn and company were confident they could correct this through coaching.

Did Stephens prove Glenn right?

Examining Brandon Stephens’ 2025 season

Early in the 2025 season, it seemed like the Jets had swung and missed on Stephens.

Through three games, Stephens had allowed opposing receivers to catch 11 of 15 targets for 104 yards and three touchdowns into his coverage. He had no interceptions, no pass breakups, and one penalty.

Suddenly, Stephens hit a stride.

Across nine games from Weeks 4-13, Stephens was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Here are his numbers over that span, along with his ranks among 71 cornerbacks with at least 300 snaps:

  • PFF Overall Grade: 80.5 (3rd)
  • PFF Coverage Grade: 79.7 (3rd)
  • PFF Run Defense Grade: 76.2 (8th)
  • Yards Allowed Per Snap: 0.70 (13th)
  • Yards Allowed Per Target: 5.82 (13th)
  • TD% Allowed: 0.62% (33rd)
  • Pass Breakup Rate: 15.4% (11th)
  • Passer Rating Allowed 90.4 (35th)
  • Completion % Allowed: 56.4% (19th)
  • Defensive Stops Per Game: 2.0 (2nd)
  • Defensive Stops Per Snap: 3.13% (12th)

Stephens has always been a great run defender, but over this nine-game stretch, he was one of the best cover corners in the NFL. The clearest improvement was his pass-breakup rate, which nearly tripled from his career average of 5.3% to 15.4%.

His play in the middle of the season likely gave the Jets some comfort in trading away Sauce Gardner. But should the Jets expect this version of Stephens moving forward?

The Jets should think twice before crowning Brandon Stephens as their CB1

Although Stephens gave the Jets plenty to be hopeful about, those games accounted for barely over half of his first season in New York.

Stephens’ first three weeks were brutal, contributing to the team’s 0-3 start. While he had a hot mid-season stretch, it fizzled over his final four appearances of the year. Over that stretch, Stephens allowed 14 of 16 passing for 178 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, while failing to record a pass breakup.

Looking at his season as a whole, the numbers aren’t pretty.

Among cornerbacks who played at least 500 snaps in 2025, Stephens ranked second-worst in touchdowns allowed (8) and fourth-worst in passer rating allowed (126.4). To be fair, he allowed nearly 300 fewer yards than in 2024 (dropping from 805 to 509), but with an 8:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio, his coverage was still below average.

Stephens was extremely hot-and-cold for New York. He was one of the league’s best cornerbacks over a nine-game stretch, but he was one of the worst in his over seven games.

Some fans may want to discount Stephens’ late fall-off as a byproduct of the Jets fully entering “tank mode.” However, the Jets would be foolish to write off Stephens’ lows and expect him to maintain his peak, given that his play at the start and finish of 2025 is far more similar to the other 65 games of his career.

Still, it is hard to ignore the ceiling that Stephens displayed. There are reasons to hope that it signaled a legitimate late-career breakout for the 28-year-old.

Stephens transitioned from running back to cornerback in his fourth collegiate season. Then, he moved to safety in his rookie year with the Baltimore Ravens.

The 2025 season was only Stephens’ fourth as an NFL cornerback, and his third as a full-time starter. Add in the fact that he projects as a better fit for the Jets’ man scheme compared to the Ravens’ zone scheme, and there is reason to hope Stephens is in the middle of a late breakout.

It wouldn’t be unprecedented. Another player who struggled in a zone scheme before having a late breakout in a man scheme?

Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year.

Across his first five NFL seasons within the Buffalo Bills’ zone scheme, Gilmore was talented but unspectacular, struggling to limit big plays. Upon joining the New England Patriots’ man scheme in his sixth NFL season, he immediately became one of the best cover corners in football.

While Stephens likely won’t follow the lofty career path of Gilmore, it does illustrate the importance of scheme fit for cornerbacks.

If Stephens can be an average cover corner to go along with his already stellar run defense, then his contract was money well spent. If Stephens regresses to his career average, then the Jets can move on with only $6 million in dead cap in 2027.

Every move in the NFL is a gamble. But from Year 1, it seems Aaron Glenn may have been right to bet on Brandon Stephens.