The New York Jets signed cornerback Brandon Stephens in free agency earlier this offseason for him to start opposite Sauce Gardner on the boundary.
Stephens, who inked a three-year deal, should be an upgrade at outside cornerback. Head coach Aaron Glenn is trying to marry the coverage with the pass rush.
The quicker the Jets’ pass rush reaches the quarterback, the less pressure placed on the secondary. There have been offseason questions about the defensive line. Quinnen Williams is elite, but the EDGE position has questions. How quickly can Jermaine Johnson II, who was recently activated off the PUP, recapture his form? Can Will McDonald IV continue building on his breakout 2024 campaign?
Stephens recently expressed confidence in the defensive line.
“We have all the talent that we need up front,” Stephens told reporters. “Those guys get after the quarterback. They’re physical in the run game. They’re doing great. We’re obviously not where we need to be right now, we have a lot to improve on. That’s expected [in August]. They’re doing a good job though.”
“We have all the talent that we need up front.”
Brandon Stephens talks about the Jets’ defensive front and how helpful it is to the rest of their defense: pic.twitter.com/R7amwgNAuH
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 20, 2025
Stephens is one of the Jets’ offseason additions expected to upgrade Coach Glenn’s defense. A fierce defensive line makes a cornerback look better. Stephens believes in the defensive line’s ability to do that.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets CB Brandon Stephens expresses confidence in defensive front