New York Jets cornerback Arthur Maulet eyeing to build on strong close to last season
After a year where he earned a significant role in the seconday as the season wore on, Arthur Maulet returns to the New York Jets in 2020 looking to lockdown a starting job in the secondary.
Last season, his first in New York, he played in 12 games, starting the last six games of the season. He finished with 38 tackles, two passes defended and an interception.
“Last year, was a good opportunity for me. I learned on the fly. I feel like I capitalized on a lot of opportunities,” Maulet said this week in a virtual conference call with the media. “But also like a motto that we have in the ‘DB’ room with coach Denard [Wilson] is to reprove yourself. So prove and reprove. I know the defense and so now it's time for me to learn from my mistakes.”
Both initial Jets starters from 2019, Trumaine Johnson, and Darryl Roberts were released at the beginning of the offseason. In free agency, the Jets signed for Indianapolis Colts cornerback Pierre Desir and then onn draft day, they acquired Colts cornerback, Quincy Wilson and selected Bryce Hall in the fifth round, a cornerback out of Virginia. Still, Maulet sees this camp as a chance to earn a starting position.
“I think it's a great opportunity for me to grow as a player and also hold myself accountable because I have played in the defense last year,” Maulet said. “I'm just trying to find my role on this team and do the best job I can to bring other guys along.”
After an unusual offseason due to COVID-19 restrictions, Maulet was happy to return to the field last week. Even if this preseason is equally as an unusual as the offseason he just emerged form.
“Man, I was happy as heck,” Maulet said. “I felt like a little kid at a candy store. I'm glad to be back on the field and put the helmets back on. I wouldn't say it was anything too different. I feel like it went back to normal. Just getting out there to compete with my brothers. I'm happy to be back on the field and get back to my job.”
And while the Jets didn’t emerge from free or the NFL Draft with a big name cornerback, there is still optimism that the unit has more depth and talent than a year ago.
"The reason I like the group is because it's an open competition," secondary coach Wilson told NewYorkJets.com. "I told them all offseason that I don't care where they came from, what round they were picked. I don't care how they got here. Now they're here and it's wide open. What's going to happen is that it's going to create competition and the best players are going to rise to the top. Whoever the best players at the corner position are or the three or four best guys, they're going to play. “
The 25-year old Maulet signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft. After spending time on their practice squad he was waived and picked up in September, 2018 by the Indianapolis Colts. Then in early 2019, Maulet signed with the Jets. After playing extensively at the end of the year, he re-signed with the Jets back in May.
