Jets Predicted To Sign Cowboys' Projected $4.5 Million 'Valuable' Cornerback

You have to think a team coached by Aaron Glenn will have a strong secondary

Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; A Dallas Cowboys helmet with Oakley visor at training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the New York Jets on the verge of losing D.J. Reed in free agency, GM Darren Mougey will be shopping around for another cornerback to play alongside Sauce Gardner in 2025.

On Thursday, Pro Football Network’s Sterling Xie predicted that the Jets could prepare an offer for a longtime Dallas Cowboys corner.

“The New York Jets could see a significant overhaul in the secondary,” Xie wrote. “Of their top eight defensive backs in snaps played from 2024, only Sauce Gardner is under contract from 2025.”

“Even if the Jets retain some of those players, New York must add depth in free agency and the draft. Jourdan Lewis has been a steady slot corner for eight years in Dallas and allowed just 5.2 yards per target in 2024. That ranked sixth-best among qualifying corners last season.”

“Besides a 2022 season in which he was limited to six games due to a Lisfranc injury, Lewis has played at least 15 games every season. He’s curiously missed time in every season except for 2019, but 15 to 16 games of reliable slot production is valuable on the open market.”

Lewis is projected by Spotrac to demand an average annual salary of $2.3 million, which could set him up for something like a two-year, $4.5 million deal.

Lewis isn’t one of the league’s highest-rated cornerbacks, but he’d provide excellent value for the above dollar figure, and he might thrive under a guy like Aaron Glenn, a former cornerback himself.

Lewis is 29 years old with at least a few quality years left athletically. If the Jets like the fit in their system, Lewis might be a sneaky smart acquisition.

Lewis was selected at No. 92 overall in the 2017 NFL draft by the Cowboys after a career at Michigan that saw him win Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2016.

More NFL: All Eyes On Jets, 25-Year-Old Linebacker As Lions Extend Derrick Barnes