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New York Jets defensive back Tony Adams reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The NFL world is about to be introduced to New York Jets defensive back Tony Adams.
Connor Hughes of SNY said on X previously Twitter that, “Internally, the Jets feel this will be the ‘ah-hah’ moment for their fan base as it pertains to Adams. You’ll see why he earned & deserved that starting gig.”
Adams is set to make his second career start in the NFL for the Jets in their Week 1 matchup versus the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
Adams Is the Wildcard on the Jets Defense in 2023
The 24-year-old originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Hughes said Adams “surprised many” when he made the 53-man roster last season but he “surprised” a few more when he earned a starting job at the beginning of training camp this year.
The former Illinois product appeared in 11 games last season and made just one start. Adams was mostly used on special teams playing 43 percent of the team’s snaps. He was rarely used on the defensive side of the ball only appearing in 16 percent of the snaps.
Despite that limited sample size, Adams showed the Jets coaching staff something that piqued their interest. So much so that he earned the bubble wrap treatment this preseason. He was a healthy scratch in several of the games and played exclusively with the starters.
That kind of attention from the staff is typically reserved for proven starters and stars. Adams is a total unknown to fans, media members, and opposing teams alike because we simply haven’t seen enough of him to judge one way or another.
Jets Coaching Staff Deserves the Benefit of the Doubt
The Jets defense was ranked the No. 4 best in the league in 2022 and folks inside the building believe they can be even better in 2023.
Veteran cornerback DJ Reed name-dropped the famous 1985 Chicago Bears and 2012 Seattle Seahawks when discussing the potential of this year’s defense.
Gang Green’s defensive line is deep, the starters at linebacker are coming off good years, and the Jets might boast the best cornerback unit in the league according to senior reporter Eric Allen.
The one mystery is the safety position.
Jordan Whitehead is coming off of a so-so year. If you ask head coach Robert Saleh, he believes Whitehead had an unbelievable year that was marred by four dropped interceptions. The analytics seem to suggest he wasn’t up to par.
According to Pro Football Focus grades from last season, Whitehead finished with 66.1 overall, 59.4 run defense, 51.7 pass rush, and a 70.6 coverage.
The coaching staff is confident he will have a strong 2023 rebound and they feel even stronger about Adams’ potential as a youngster coming in.
The missing piece on defense last year was a true ballhawk in the secondary. Hughes explained on X previously Twitter that is exactly what Adams brings to the table from the Jets’ perspective.
“One additional note on him: He’s a true free safety/center fielder. That’s among the reasons the staff loves him — he brings something others in that room do not.”
If he can truly bring that to the table, perhaps the Jets can live up to the lofty expectations of those inside and outside the building.
Paul A. Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he is also the official PA voice of the Syracuse Strong Football Club and 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 A. Esden Jr.
