Getty
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Justin Reid reacting ahead of an NFL game.
The New York Jets safety depth chart is barren.
However, that could quickly change in free agency. ESPN’s Matt Bowen recently linked Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Justin Reid to the Jets.
“Under new coach Aaron Glenn, Reid could drop the hammer as a downhill tackler and interchangeable safety for the Jets. Thanks to his vision and field awareness, Reid had 261 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and 14 pass breakups over three years with the Chiefs. The Jets’ 17 forced turnovers tied for 20th last season, so they need playmakers,” Bowen explained.
Reid is ranked as fifth best safety that is expected to be available and the No. 43 overall best free agent, according to Bowen’s rankings.
Pro Football Focus projects Reid to land a three-year deal for $46.5 million with $25 million of that guaranteed. That $15.5 million annual salary would place him No. 7 among the highest-paid safeties in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
Reid Would Bring Championship Pedigree and Credibility
The 28-year-old safety entered the NFL in 2018 as the No. 68 overall pick in the third round. He spent the first four years of his career with the Houston Texans. Most recently he was with the Chiefs where he won two Super Bowls across his three seasons with the team.
Reid has played in at least 13 games in every one of his seasons in the NFL. On top of his durability, Reid has been insanely productive. The former Stanford product has registered over 580 tackles, six sacks, 46 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, and 17 quarterback hits.
“Reid is one of the better run-defending safeties in the NFL,” PFF wrote in his free agency profile.
This past season the Jets were terrible against the run and their tackling was shoddy. Gang Green gave up over 121 rushing yards per game this past season, per Team Rankings.
Next Gen Stats ranked the Jets No. 30 in the NFL this past season for its “tackling grade.”
“The Jets became the only team to miss 20 tackles in a game twice this season,” per Next Gen Stats. The two most egregious Jets tacklers according to the data were linebacker Quincy Williams and pass rusher Will McDonald.
“Quincy Williams had been establishing himself as one of the league’s better tacklers but missed 27 this season, and Will McDonald IV missed one-third of his 42 tackle attempts,” Next Gen Stats revealed.
Here are all of the free agents in the secondary the Jets are set to lose according to Spotrac: D.J. Reed, Brandin Echols, Jalen Mills, Ashtyn Davis, Tony Adams (restricted free agent), Chuck Clark, Isaiah Oliver, and Kendall Sheffield.
This entire group needs a facelift at both the cornerback and safety positions. It remains to be seen how many if any of these players from the previous regime will stick around in 2025.
A Change in Philosophy on the Defensive Side of the Ball
The last regime did not value the safety position.
When it came down to decision time on All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, the Jets hit the eject button. Former general manager Joe Douglas got tremendous value flipping the veteran defensive back for a package that included two future first-round draft choices.
Over the last handful of years, the Jets have relied on undrafted free agents and cheap veterans to fill the gaps at safety.
That is expected to change this offseason with Glenn. In Detroit with the Lions, they had players like Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph who were both selected with picks inside the top three rounds of the NFL draft. Plus Glenn is a former NFL defensive back who spent 15 years in the league.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
