New York Jets’ starting slot cornerback Michael Carter II missed significant time during training camp due to an ankle injury and he exited the season opener for the same reason.
The good news is that Carter does not carry an injury tag heading into the Week 2 road battle against the Tennessee Titans. After back-to-back limited practice days, the fourth-year player fully participated on Friday.
Earlier in the week, Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh claimed Carter was available to return to the game on Monday night but the team chose to hold him out for precautionary reasons.
Carter, a 2021 fifth-round draft pick, signed a three-year contract extension prior to the start of the regular season to become the highest-paid player at his position. While the reliable defensive back attempts to shake off his ankle issue, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich predicted that Carter’s presence will only grow in the coming weeks.
“MC is a guy that he missed the entire camp and he’s going to consistently get better. He’s another guy, like Jermaine [Johnson], that the process is right, the attitude is right, the approach is right. He’s just going to continue to get better as he gets his legs underneath him,” said Ulbrich on Thursday.
Although Carter has been ranked as a Top 15 cornerback by Pro Football Focus, Ulbrich is confident the Jets have adequate replacements, if needed.
Brandin Echols, who was drafted one round after New York selected Carter, was the next man up at the slot position on Monday night. He logged nine defensive snaps there while the Jets opted to deploy a three-linebacker formation more frequently.
“We’re fortunate that we have two or three guys that we’re very comfortable at the nickel position. Isaiah Oliver, he has started a lot of games in this League at nickel. Brandin Echols has started for us at nickel,
[Qwan’tez] Stiggers has played some nickel now. Ashtyn Davis has played some of the bigger nickel stuff that we do in some packages. I feel good about the depth there. I really do,” said Ulbrich.
Oliver came over from the San Francisco 49ers this past offseason and converted from cornerback to safety. Stiggers, a CFL standout, has impressed since joining the Jets as a sixth-round draft pick in the spring.
The Jets and the Titans will kick off at 1:00 pm ET on September 15.
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• Jets’ two key offseason WR additions complete non-factors in season opener
