Top defensive backs from the Senior Bowl for NY Jets to target

The Senior Bowl featured many talented defensive backs that the New York Jets could target in the 2024 NFL draft

Plenty of talented defensive players stood out during my time at the Senior Bowl. In our last breakdown, we highlighted three potential defensive linemen that the New York Jets could target in the upcoming draft.

These are the standout defensive backs from Mobile that the Jets should keep an eye on as the combine approaches.

2024 Senior Bowl breakdowns:

• Offensive linemen
• Wide receivers
• Defensive linemen

Jarvis Brownlee, CB – Louisville

Quinyon Mitchell was the biggest name at cornerback at the Senior Bowl, but Jarvis Brownlee quickly found himself on everyone’s radar after his performance in Mobile.

The underrated prospect quickly turned heads with his ability not just in the running game, but his shutdown ability in coverage. Brownlee was bullying wide receivers at the line of scrimmage in 7s. And, in some cases, was just knocking them over within the legal five-yard limit. The Louisville product brings a layer of toughness that’s uncommon at the CB position.

Jarvis Brownlee Jr presses the WR to the ground in 7 on 7s lol pic.twitter.com/SDck9Ro48x

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) February 1, 2024

Aggressiveness isn’t the only trait Brownlee displayed, however.

While Brownlee can sometimes easily give up inside leverage, he does a great job of using his hip fluidity to change direction and make up on lost ground. The two clips below exemplify both of those traits.

Here’s Brownlee again, facing Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. Brownlee initially gives up inside leverage, but read the slant, gets back inside and forces QB Michael Pratt to hold the ball – ending the rep. Great coverage by 19 here. pic.twitter.com/vwp6rfrs0K

— Thomas Christopher (@ThomasCP_NFL) February 3, 2024

The first clip shows Brownlee’s instincts and football IQ take over. He sees the quick out (1) develop and jumps the route for a near-interception. In the second clip, he gets beat with a move on the inside. However, he quickly recovers and ends up running the route for the WR himself, forcing the quarterback to end the drill.

Brownlee also caught the attention of Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner for his performance during practices at the Senior Bowl.

Great patience, great eyes, and great finish in both reps. I do think he could widen his base pre-snap (just a little bit) since he immediately widens his base when the WR moves. I’m not a CB guru at all; just throwing some free game out there. https://t.co/y9dHm0bV8V

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) February 1, 2024

Prior to the Senior Bowl, Jarvis Brownlee was widely considered a Day 3 prospect. However, he may now sneak into Day 2 based on his performance in Mobile. If Brownlee does manage to slip through the cracks, he’s a player worth targeting for the Jets to develop behind Sauce Gardner.

DJ James, CB – Auburn

Going into the Senior Bowl, there were a lot of questions surrounding Auburn cornerback DJ James. Coming in undersized and underweight (5-foot-11 and 170 pounds), those questions only seemed to loom larger. However, James’ time in Mobile would surprisingly show that he has the talent to play at the next level despite his underwhelming frame.

While James can hold his own in man coverage, he performs better in zone – specifically in Cover-3. While the Jets have transitioned to more of a Cover-4 base from their backside defenders, I think it will play into James’ strengths as an instinctual and decisive cornerback.

Here is a clip from a live practice at the Senior Bowl that shows this strength.

Auburn CB DJ James nearly comes away with a pick during #SeniorBowl ‘live’ practice. Though undersized, I think James did well throughout the week and showed he could find a role on an NFL team going forward. pic.twitter.com/qlY7G7oBEA

— Thomas Christopher (@ThomasCP_NFL) February 6, 2024

James is in what appears to be a variation of Cover-3. As he begins to protect the boundary to stop a potential vertical pass, he starts to read the quarterback and receiver, then breaks on his backpedal and nearly comes away with an interception.

At times, James can be a little handsy, but given his size, it’s understandable why. He isn’t the fastest CB prospect by any means, either, but makes up for it with his football IQ. With some of his physical traits likely impacting his draft stock, James is currently projected as a Day 3 cornerback. And if he continues on that slide, the Jets should make sure to have him on their radar.

Beau Brade, S – Maryland

Maryland safety Beau Brade is an enforcer at the position. He’s not afraid to initiate contact, whether that be against blockers or ball carriers. But it’s not just his aggressiveness that’s appealing. Brade has a knack for playing football and that includes both coverage and play recognition.

At the Senior Bowl, Brade stood out for both of these reasons. He wasn’t beaten consistently in coverage and made plenty of instinctive plays at the position. Here he is sniffing out a screen play. In fact, he’s the only player who realizes it’s a screen. Brade gets there so quickly that he’s able to break up the pass.

Maryland DB Beau Brade is on screen watch. pic.twitter.com/cudaY2eoCd

— Real Friends & Football (@rff_football) January 30, 2024

While the Jets don’t necessarily have a glaring need at safety, it’s good to have a downhill player who can load the box and lay out the wood. After all, with how many injuries occur in the NFL, teams need to have legitimate backup plans in place. With Brade potentially falling into Day 3, there’s enough intrigue there for me that the Jets should keep an eye on the Maryland product.

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