Position Reset for '25
The Jets safeties room will feature new talent in 2025 after several offseason changes. Fifth-year player Andre Cisco, who joined the Green & White during free agency, has been penciled in as one of the team's starters at free safety.
Cisco began his career in Jacksonville where he totaled 229 tackles and 8 interceptions across four seasons, and head coach Aaron Glenn believes the best is ahead of the Long Island native.
"Every guy has to have some type of characteristic that fits what we do and what we're about, and Cisco does," Glenn said during OTAs. "Number one, he's a really, really good person. He's a really good football player and he's a player that can get the ball back for you. You watch him -- how he operates with his teammates -- and you can tell that he's a true team guy. I think that's only going to get better once we continue to coach him and once he understands the dynamics of everything that we got going on. He's doing a good job for us and I'm happy that we got him."
Glenn said Cisco has "natural leader ability" that will positively impact his teammates on and off the field.
"I'm very aggressive to the ball, looking to get the ball and bring it back to the offense most of the time," Cisco said of his playing style. "And just being a field general, commanding the field, being loud and in communication. And past that, just letting guys play around me and really bringing the best out of everybody is my job."
Opposite Cisco, there is competition between players with a wide range of NFL experience. Tony Adams, a four-year member of the Green & White, started 11 games last season and recorded career highs in tackles (84) and pass defenses (6).
"It's a competition," Adams said of the safeties room. "Guys playing great football. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. I came in as an undrafted free agent, I know how it feels to be the hunter. Now I'm the hunted, but that's how this game works. Everybody [is] trying to be out there with those 11 guys on that field, so you've just got to embrace it. You've got to love competition. If you don't like competition, why are you playing this game?"
The young Jets in the mix are Jarius Monroe -- who played in five games as an undrafted free agent rookie last season -- first-year player Jaylin Simpson, undrafted free agent rookie Dean Clark and fourth-round 2025 draft pick Malachi Moore.
Isaiah Oliver-- who played in 17 games for the Jets last season and started 7 – remains a valuable chess piece. Entering his eighth NFL season, Oliver, who played for coordinator Steve Wilks in San Francisco, lined up at multiple positions last season and took 60 snaps at safety
| Jets Safety | '24 Team(s) | Exper in '25 | '24 GP-GS-DNP-IA | '24 D-ST-TotSnaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Cisco | JAX | 5th | 16 - 14 - 0 - 1 | 979 - 39 - 1018 |
| Tony Adams | NYJ | 4th | 15 - 11 - 0 - 2 | 766 - 43 - 809 |
| Jarius Monroe | NYJ | 1st | 5 - 0 - 0 - 0 | 17 - 58 - 75 |
| Jaylin Simpson | NYJ | 1st | 0 - 0 - 0 - 4 | 0 - 0 - 0 |
| Malachi Moore | Alabama | R | .......... | .......... |
| Dean Clark | Fresno St. | R | .......... | .......... |
Storyline to Watch
Where will rookie Malachi Moore fit into the Jets' secondary?
The Jets' second-of-two fourth-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, Moore also played nickel and corner at Alabama. Across five college seasons, he totaled 214 tackles, 7 interceptions and 25 pass defenses. The two-year team captain recorded career highs in tackles (70) and pass defenses (8) during the 2024 season.
Glenn noted that Moore "fits us to a tee" and will have the opportunity to compete for a safety spot while also showcasing his versatility.
"What he did in college shows exactly what he can do in the NFL," Glenn said. "Being able to have the versatility to play safety and also play nickel has always been great. … To be able to have a player that has that versatility is always good for a defense."
What They're Saying
Andre Cisco on the Jets secondary: "I think we should set the bar in terms of what it looks like at a high level around the league. I think guys should be able to look at this secondary -- the play style, the effort, the smartness in terms of IQ -- and we should be able to set the bar high in this league. I'm excited to have this chance and it has already felt really good and really natural."
S Trivia
Andre Cisco has a few things going for him in his first year as a Jets safety, not the least of which are his massive mitts. Cisco's 10.625-inch hand span as measured at his 2021 Syracuse pro day is tied for the second-largest among all NFL defensive backs for the past 15 seasons, according to TruMedia.com. And in Week 5, Long Islander Cisco and the Jets, his hometown team, will host the Cowboys and S Malik Hooker, the DB with the largest hand span since 2011 at 10.75 inches.
