The New York Jets had one of the best passing defenses in the NFL in 2024, and they. could further improve it in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. In a recent article by PFF’s Dalton Wasserman, he picks one player who could be a “surprise” pick for every team in the first round of the draft.
For the Jets, he thinks they could take a look at Georgia star safety Malaki Starks. “Perhaps Aaron Glenn sees shades of Brian Branch in Malaki Starks as he works to shape the Jets’ defense in his vision,” Wasserman writes. “With Tony Adams and newly signed Andre Cisco currently projected to start, Starks would bring a more dynamic and versatile presence to the safety position – and potentially grow into a cornerstone on the back end.”
New Jets head coach Aaron Glenn made Brian Branch a Pro Bowler in just his second season when he was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions just last season. As a result, he could look in the upcoming draft to add a safety who has similar upside. Starks finished his final season at Georgia with an impressive 77 total tackles, with four of them being for a loss. While his stats from the NFL Draft Combine did not jump off the page, they were very similar to Branch’s back in 2023. With Glenn being the new head coach of the Jets, he could look to make his mark on the defense early in the draft with the seventh overall pick.