The Jets showed tons of confidence in Bless Austin with every move they didn’t make in the offseason.
Almost as much confidence as Austin — who is surprisingly atop the cornerback depth chart in training camp — has in himself.
“I come to camp looking forward to getting my next contract,” Austin said. “I don’t worry about who’s starting or none of that. I think I’m the real deal. There’s no secret to that.”
So, Austin sounds like so many unshakeable elite cornerbacks. Can he play like one? He says he already has at times in 16 starts over the first half of his four-year rookie contract.
“Clip the tape, press play,” Austin said. “Of course I made mistakes, but there’s also a lot of plays I made on that field that other corners in this league are not making. I’m looking forward to extending my time here on the Jets by making a lot of plays.”
The Jets chose to spend free-agent dollars and draft picks upgrading wide receiver (Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, Elijah Moore), offensive line (Alijah Vera-Tucker and Morgan Moses), quarterback (Zach Wilson) and linebacker (Carl Lawson and Jarrad Davis).
Did they simply run out of resources before getting to cornerback? Or do they believe in Austin and second-year pro Bryce Hall more than the many critics?
“The front office and the coaching staff does a great job of communicating to us where their head is at,” Austin said. “A lot of people forget me and Bryce were highly rated dudes coming out of college. We just fell short to injury. There’s a reason why they didn’t bring a veteran cornerback in here. Not to knock any out there, but they see something in us.”
Austin led the Big Ten in passes defended in 2015 before two ACL tears ended his final two seasons at Rutgers. Hall led the nation in passes defended at Virginia in 2019 but needed leg and ankle surgery as a senior. Both fell from potential second-rounders to sixth-rounders to form the unlikeliest starting duo in the NFL.
“I don’t pay attention to outside noise,” Austin said. “I’m between the white lines and I know what I’m about. Other people in the league know what I’m about as well.”
For all his swagger, Austin doesn’t see himself as a finished product.
“There are so many areas to improve on,” Austin said. “It’s hard for me to look back in the past and see how far I’ve come. I’m just so tough on myself. With new offenses and as this game revolutionizes, I don’t think there will ever be a time I’m comfortable and I’ve got things figured out.”
Austin allowed 41 catches on 59 targets for 369 yards and three touchdowns last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He wasn’t benched as he was as a rookie, but he appeared to be responsible for multiple blown assignments that led to big plays in the secondary.
“Bless has a dog’s mentality in that he is absolutely fearless,” coach Robert Saleh said. “It doesn’t look like he’s bothered by the play before. It’s those attributes — the length, the strength at the line of scrimmage, he’s fast enough — so it’s just a matter of working the technique and understanding where you fit in the defense. He’s shown everything that we want.”
Austin didn’t hang his head after surrendering a leaping touchdown to Corey Davis during Monday’s practice. Tight end Tyler Kroft, a former Rutgers teammate of Austin’s, also separately used “dog’s mentality” to describe Austin.
“When I hear that, the only thing I think is to make sure that doesn’t ever leave [Saleh’s] mind,” Austin said. “Continue to stay consistent and continue to make that my trademark.”
Saleh’s defensive scheme was developed through time with the Seahawks and Jaguars, where All-Pros Richard Sherman and Jalen Ramsey held the No. 1 cornerback roles. Austin stayed around the Jets training facility during the offseason, watched tape of Ramsey and didn’t take many “vacation days.”
So, is it possible he soon could hear his name in that conversation as one of the best in the NFL?
“I’ve learned how you get that done is by taking it a day at a time,” Austin said. “The best ones understand what steps they took and the growth they had to go through. With all the areas I have to work and improve, day by day I knock them down, I’m definitely planning on hearing that at the end of the year.”