You can't get any more Jersey than the Jets' new cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor, who was born and raised in Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore. Taylor, 26, was the team's final acquisition on a frenzied Tuesday as the NFL trading deadline approached late in the afternoon.
"First and foremost, I'm happy to be here, happy to be a Jet," Taylor said on Wednesday, his first full day at 1 Jets Drive. "I mean, my family's ecstatic. I get to come back home and be closer to them. They get to come up here and watch me more often, and that's been going through my mind. Just being excited to be here, excited to get with my new teammates, make an impact. I haven't really got time to really let it all hit me that I was on one team yesterday, now I'm here, so I'm just embracing this."
On Tuesday, Taylor was in a team meeting with his Los Angeles Chargers teammates, watching tape to prepare for their game Sunday against the Steelers.
In short order, he got the news that he was coming back east, packed a few bags "called my family, called everybody," and high-tailed it to the airport for a red eye flight that landed at John F. Kennedy Airport at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
"Took an hour drive from JFK to here [Florham Park], some physicals all the way up to my first meeting," he said with two blue suitcases stationed in front of his new locker. "Meeting and practice, then I finally got to sit down. It's been amazing to this point."
Check out the best photos from the Thursday's practice at 1JD.
Taylor (5-11, 186) was selected by the Chargers out of Wake Forest in the sixth round (No. 214 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. In his four seasons in the NFL, he has appeared in 57 games (11 starts) with an INT, 14 pass defenses, a fumble recovery and 84 total tackles. He's taken a total of 1,061 snaps and an additional 872 on special teams, according to Pro Football Reference. The Jets sent a conditional seventh-round pick in 2028 to the Chargers in the deal for Taylor.
He joins a Jets secondary that has been transformed, beginning in the offseason with the departure in free agency of D.J. Reed and the subsequent signing of free agent Brandon Stephens. A trade with Tennessee brought Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who is now the starter at slot corner after the Jets traded Michael Carter II to the Eagles (and received back WR John Metchie III). Now with the trade of Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis, rookie Azareye'h Thomas (who started his first game for the injured Gardner in the Week 8 win at Cincinnati) is likely to finish out the season in his place with Taylor providing versatility and another seasoned special teams player.
"I am in disbelief, but a good disbelief," he said about the trade. "I'm like, 'Wow, I really ended up back at home.' Obviously building something here that I would love to be a part of. And I'm just excited for an opportunity. All the guys introduced themselves to me. I met some of the coaches in practice. Was trying to just get up to speed, you know, learn the terminology, use the lingo that they use. See myself in different positions."
He sees himself fitting in at slot corner while also contributing on special teams.
"That's a part of my game," he said. "Hopefully I can translate that here, nickel as well."
"Taylor gives you that flexibility on the back end from a standpoint of being able to play inside and outside," said defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
