AP

Antonio Cromartie raised some eyebrows this year when he proclaimed himself the second-best receiver on the Jets. But his confidence in his abilities as a cornerback exceeds his confidence in his abilities as a receiver.

Cromartie told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that with Darrelle Revis out for the year with a torn ACL, Cromartie is not just the Jets’ top cornerback: He’s the best cornerback in the entire league.

“I have said that I’m the second-best corner in the NFL,” Cromartie said. “I’m not backing off what I said. I don’t care what anyone else believe. . . . It’s my confidence in myself. I know what I’m capable of when I’m at the top of my game.”

Cromartie said he believes he’s off to an excellent start this season, and is now ready to take over Revis’s job of covering the best receiver on the field.

“I think I’ve been playing at a Pro Bowl level so far,” Cromartie said.

He’ll have to be, for the Jets’ defense to avoid falling apart without the guy who really is the best cornerback in the NFL.