DB: Isaiah Oliver, Brandon Stephens, Andre Cisco, Kris Boyd
The Fit: The versatile Oliver, 28, played in every game -- and every position in the secondary: safety, cornerback, nickel and dime --last season in his first year with the Jets. Oliver (6-0, 202) started 7 games, made 57 tackles, had 3 passes defensed and a sack. He was selected by Atlanta in the second round (No. 58 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft and spent his first five seasons with the Falcons before moving to San Francisco for the 2023 season. He signed with the Jets last March after being released by the Niners. In his career, he's appeared in 75 games (43 starts) with 256 tackles (187 solo) and 3 INT.
Stephens, 27, was signed in the hope he would grab the CB2 spot opposite Sauce Gardner. Stephens (6-1, 216), the first defensive player the Jets signed in free agency this year, has good size and played in all 17 games in two of his four seasons in Baltimore. Overall, he started 37 of the Ravens' 39 games the last two seasons, including 4 playoff games. He totaled 144 tackles, 2 interceptions and 21 pass defenses.
Cisco, 24, is a Long Island native and free safety who played in college at Syracuse and is capable of fitting in a Cover-1 scheme often favored by HC Aaron Glenn. Cisco (6-0, 209), who signed a one-year deal after four years with Jacksonville, had a passer rating as the nearest defender (79.2) ranked 18th out of 70 safeties (min. 250 coverage snaps), according to Next Gen Stats.
Boyd, 28, is seen as more akin to the Jets' former special teams ace Justin Hardee. Boyd (5-11, 201), like Hardee and current Jets player Irvin Charles (who is coming back from an ACL injury), is a gunner on the punt-coverage team. With his speed -- he was clocked at 22.32 mph last season on a punt, per GPS tracking -- Boyd could be a key cog in the important field-position game.
The Room: Gone from last season's team are CB D.J. Reed (Detroit) CB Brandin Echols (Pittsburgh) and S Ashtyn Davis (Miami). CB Sauce Gardner, slot Michael Carter II, S Tony Adams and CB Qwan'tez Stiggers are the main holdovers. Carter, who has been solid in the slot, was limited to 13 games last season as he dealt with a nagging back injury. Gardner, entering his fourth season with the Jets, will be looking to reassert his dominance in HC Aaron Glenn's revamped defensive backfield.
The Future: With so many spots to fill, the Jets moved quickly in free agency, adding experienced players in S Cisco, CB Stephens and CB Boyd (who also adds speed and depth on special teams after Echols' exit). The Jets believe Stephens could team with Gardner for the foreseeable future. Still, adding depth is likely to be a priority in April's NFL Draft.