The Jets will have a new-look secondary in 2026 and the pieces are starting to come together through offseason OTAs. With head coach Aaron Glenn calling defensive plays in his second year leading the Jets, the expectation is to wreak havoc.

"I think the main proponent of AG's defense is putting the quarterback in a blender, making it really tough on him whether that's through disguises, through pressure, through drafting guys like DB (David Bailey), who is an elite edge rusher," safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said. "It's just finding ways to put pressure on him and make him make mistakes, and I think that's kind of the main proponent of it."

Fitzpatrick, who is getting ready for his ninth season in the NFL, was traded to the Jets in March after his second stint in Miami, the team that drafted him No. 11 overall in 2018. A five-time Pro-Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Fitzpatrick has 21 career INTs.

"That's one of the reasons we got him here," Glenn said of Fitzpatrick's playmaking ability. "We want guys that can get their hands on the ball, we want guys that can make plays and we also want guys that when things break down, have the instincts to get us right back where we need to be, give us another chance to have another play. And he's done that throughout his career, so I'm expecting the same."

Returning to the gridiron to play alongside Fitzpatrick is Andre Cisco, who is entering year two with the Green and White after starting his career in Jacksonville. Malachi Moore, who flashed as a rookie, and Dane Belton, a sure tackler who will brings important special teams value, also will add to the competition. Cisco's 2025 season was cut short after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the Jets' win over the Bengals in Week 8.

"We thought highly of him when we signed him last year," Glenn said. "Listen, we think he's a guy that can come in and compete and play for us. Obviously, he has good range, has good ball skills. I know in Jacksonville things didn't go the way that he wanted, so we still believe in him and we're looking forward to him going out there and competing and trying to earn a starting job."

The Jets also improved their secondary by drafting D'Angelo Ponds in the second round at No. 50 overall. He joins a CB group that also includes Brandon Stephens, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and free agent addition Nahshon Wright.

"You didn't have to call the dude little," WR Adonai Mitchell jokingly said to reporters last week. "He's a dawg. He's always been an underdog; a lot of people have always counted him out, and he kind of wears that on his sleeve. He comes in every day like people are counting him out. I think he has a bright future."

Ponds, fresh off a national championship victory at Indiana, missed only one game in his collegiate career — he appeared in 41 and made 37 starts. During the Hoosiers championship run, Ponds was named the Defensive MVP of both the Rose Bowl against Alabama and Peach Bowl against Oregon where he intercepted Dante Moore the first offensive snap of the game and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

"He has a very high IQ for the game," Fitzpatrick said. "He's a physical guy and he's willing to do anything that we've been asking him to do so far. By the looks of it, it seems as if he's been in this league for a minute by the way that he conducts himself as a pro and as a young guy in this league."

The rookie cornerback has drawn comparisons to Glenn, who played the same position for 15 years in the NFL. Glenn said in the classroom Ponds is "quick to give you answers," which is a credit to how he processes the game mentally. Now, it's about putting it to the test in live action moments.

"So, now we're starting him out at nickel, see how he operates, then we'll put him outside, maybe today and see how he operates there," Glenn said during OTAs. "Let's just see if he can continue to handle that, because sometimes it's different doing it in the classroom than doing it on the field."