Throughout the offseason, NewYorkJets.com reporters Eric Allen, Ethan Greenberg, Randy Lange and Caroline Hendershot will give their responses to a series of questions regarding the Jets.
Today's question: Who Will Lead the Jets in Interceptions in the 2025 Season?
EA: It's crazy to think the Jets recorded 7 INTs last season and three players (Ashtyn Davis, Brandin Echols and Jalen Mills) who accounted for 5 of those thefts are no longer with the Green & White. HC Aaron Glenn has talked about his defense's impressive speed, but that speed must lead to sound tackling and takeaways. I believe newcomer Andre Cisco will lead the defense in its pilfering. The Jets targeted Cisco, who had 7 INTs in Jacksonville in 2022-23, in free agency because they like his ball skills and size plus Glenn said he was looking forward to the native of Valley Stream, NY, being a leader of the secondary. Cisco is a ballhawk dating to his days with Syracuse, tallying an FBS high 12 INTs in 2018-19. He's a rangy 6-0, 210-pounder with sub 4.4 speed and Sauce Gardner is going to allow Cisco the freedom to take some chances on the ball.
EG: I'm going with Sauce Gardner. Gardner and head coach Aaron Glenn have each emphasized creating turnovers and while Gardner has 1 interception over the last two seasons, I think Glenn and Steve Wilks' defense will put Gardner in more positions to make plays on the ball. One thing that may hurt the No. 4 overall pick in 2022 is the potential lack of targets because of his sticky coverage, but Gardner is due for a turnover-laden season as he enters Year 4 in the NFL.
See some of the best images of the Jets players at 2025 Multimedia Day.
RL: I'd love to say Sauce Gardner. He said recently that at least two of his coaches, former "ballhawks" in HC Aaron Glenn and CBs coach Dre Bly, will "be able to help me make more plays on the ball," and I think Sauce is in for multiple INTs in 2025. But my choice for this question is Andre Cisco, for several reasons. (1) Cisco has 8 INTs and 22 pass defenses his past three seasons with the Jaguars. Not crazy production, but it still shows he's capable of racking up some nice PD metrics. 2) Cisco hails from Long Island, was "into being a Jets fan way more than a Giants fan" growing up, and was a standout in the Syracuse secondary. He's a native New Yorker who gets the chance to do a star turn in front of his hometown. (3) Glenn's system as Detroit's DC was different, of course, than Steve Wilks' scheme as Jets DC will be. But it is intriguing that in AG's last three Lions seasons, his leading interceptors were Kerby Joseph, Kerby Joseph and Kerby Joseph. The safety posted seasons of 4, 4 and last season an NFL-leading 9 INTs in those seasons, totaling 17 INTs plus 31 PDs. Seems as if the Jets' scheme could be a dream for Cisco and the safeties to perform in.
CH: Sauce Gardner. That has been the one point of emphasis he has made for the last year. While he has had 40 PDs in his first three seasons in the league, he has only had 3 interceptions. Sauce has said that he has been making sure he is getting his hands on the ball, whether that's before practice or staying late, to work on getting more interceptions. I have high expectations for Sauce under former CB Aaron Glenn who had 41 interceptions in his 15-year career. Seems to me like Glenn may have a trick or two on interceptions that he could teach for this upcoming season.
