The New York Jets secondary heading into the 2018 season may be its most solidified position grouping. This is something that Gang Green hasn’t been able to say for a while. All Jet fans remember the days when Darrelle Revis locked down an entire side of the field and helped create one of the best all-around defenses in the NFL. Now, Jet fans are expecting one of their newest off-season additions, cornerback Trumaine Johnson, to live up to the hype and show the NFL why he is one of the most feared corners in the league.

A self-proclaimed “game-changer”, Johnson was inked to a five-year, 72.5 million dollar contract in the offseason. He will man the side of the field opposite the savvy veteran Morris Claiborne. These two vets will get their safety help from the team’s 2017 first and second round picks Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. One question mark heading into the preseason will be where exactly will sixth round pick Parry Nickerson fit in?

Nickerson has caught the eyes of a lot of fans after clearly making a good enough impact on the eyes of the brass who took a flier on the Tulane grad in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Nickerson will need to compete for that coveted third cornerback slot, often referred to as the slot corner. Buster Skrine manned that position for New York last season and was among the most penalized defensive backs in the NFL. A battle will certainly ensue during camp and throughout the preseason, and I think Darryl Roberts, Rashard Robinson and Juston Burris, along with the aforementioned two players will all make the decision tough for the Jets’ coaching staff.

The safeties are the two who may have the most secure jobs on either side of the ball for Gang Green. All-Rookie selection Jamal Adams and his counterpart Marcus Maye are both expected to make significant strides this season compared to last. They definitely still have a lot to learn between the both of them, which is why I believe the addition of J.J. Wilcox in free agency will benefit the two young defensive stars. Wilcox, who changed his mind at the last second, signing with the Jets over the San Francisco 49ers, is 29 and has been in the league since 2013. He will fill in for Rontez Miles, the backup safety and special teamer who underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus and will miss the start of the year. The veteran Wilcox will help to mentor Adams and Maye, but he will also be in a competition for the backup safety spot that has now opened up. Terrence Brooks and Doug Middleton are also expected to compete for that spot as well.

All in all, the Jets are looking solid in the secondary as they prepare for 2018. I believe that Trumaine Johnson will play up to expectations and he will help out the rest of the defense beyond what fans can imagine. Head coach Todd Bowles now has a shutdown corner that will allow him to blitz off the edge much more often and wreak havoc for opposing quarterbacks. The New York Jets are a good edge rusher away from having a top-10, and maybe a top-5 defense in the NFL.

What are your thoughts on the NYJ secondary and what position group would you like to see previewed next? Let me know on Twitter.