The Jets have signed a pair of rookie draft picks: cornerback Parry Nickerson and defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi.
The 5'10", 182-pound Nickerson played 48 games at Tulane, totaling 18 interceptions and 47 pass defenses. Taken with the 179th overall selection in the draft, he was the first of the Jets' three Round 6 picks.
"We felt good where we had him in the sixth round," said general manager Mike Maccagnan of Nickerson. "He's a maybe slightly undersized corner, but he's a very athletic corner. We actually were quite intrigued by him."
Nickerson and Fatukasi became the Jets' second and third draft choices to sign as fellow sixth-rounder Trenton Cannon, a Virginia State product, put pen to paper on Friday.
"He's going to practice outside and inside," said Todd Bowles of Nickerson, a speedy defensive back who posted a 4.32 time in the 40-yard dash at the Combine. "Obviously, he's going to come in behind Buster (Skrine) when he comes inside and then he's going to work outside. He had a lot of production in school and there are a lot of things we like about him to get him where we got him and we're going to bring him along."
Taken a pick after Nickerson, Fatukasi is a Queens native who played collegiately at Connecticut. The 6'4", 318-pound Fatukasi appeared in 48 games with the Huskies and registered 168 tackles, 19 stops for loss, 14 sacks and four forced fumbles.
"I had to quickly get off the high of being drafted," Fatukasi told reporters prior to the Green & White's final rookie camp workout, "and realize there's still a lot of work to be done."
