Dane Belton's Future With Jets Continues to Change as Training Camp Buzz Grows

The free-agency acquisition has emerged as a legitimate candidate to start at safety.

New York Jets safety Dane Belton (6) warms up during a practice for the New York Jets at their training facility on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Florham Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As the New York Jets prepare for their preseason opener against the Buccaneers on Friday and continue finalizing their 53-man roster ahead of the 2026 season, some players have stood out more than others and will look to use the upcoming games against some external competition to make one last statement.

Aside from just making the roster, safety Dane Belton has emerged as a legitimate threat to start alongside veteran Minkah Fitzpatrick. He has been in a battle with Andre Cisco and Malachi Moore, but his hot start in camp has vaulted him ahead of the two and could even push Cisco out the door if he is not careful.

The 2022 fourth-round pick had the second-most total tackles (120) on the New York Giants last season and is coming off arguably his best season to date after playing a career-high 705 snaps. The Jets signed him to a one-year, $4 million deal in free agency, and it is not hard to see why he could price himself out of New York this season.

Among all safeties to play at least 400 snaps last season, Belton recorded the lowest missed tackle percentage (4.1%), per Pro Football Focus. Head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that the Jets are working Belton off-ball, in the box and as a cover safety, and it is easy to see why he has been turning heads in training camp for a team that finished fourth-worst in missed tackles last season.

Dane Belton has impressed in training camp

Belton was not exactly expected to become an immediate threat for the starting role when the Jets signed him, but he has quickly proved that notion wrong. From multiple pass breakups and interceptions to consistently making plays at the line of scrimmage, Belton has thrived so far and made a strong case for himself to win the safety battle with Cisco and Moore.

In fact, the four turnovers he forced last season with the Giants were as many as the Jets had as a whole, which further speaks to his potential and what he offers in a secondary that shockingly had zero interceptions all of last season.

In a stacked safety room, having the versatility to play in each spot at the position could be what separates Belton from Cisco and Moore as the competition continues to heat up. While Belton still has some room for improvement in coverage after posting the 52nd-ranked PFF grade (59.8) out of 98 qualified safeties last season, his playmaking ability and solid run defense is exactly what Glenn's defense needs after a disastrous 2025 season.

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn embraces with safety Dane Belton (6) during a practice for the New York Jets at their training facility on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Florham Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Not to mention, Belton has also been highly impactful on the Jets special teams unit, tying for fifth in special teams tackles (16) in 2025. Throw in the suspect play and a shortened 2025 season due to a pectoral tear for Cisco, and there is reason to believe he could be on the roster chopping block. While he may not drop that far, there is no denying that Cisco has not exactly stood out and opened the door for Belton to leap ahead of him on the depth chart.

Moore was second on the team in total tackles (101) last season, but he has had a quiet showing in the offseason and stands out as the Jets' biggest concern. Combine that with Cisco's lackluster performance, and Belton certainly appears to be in the best position to come out of this competition on top and poised to inherit the starting position.

The buzz surrounding Belton right now is hard to ignore, especially with the struggles that Cisco and Moore continue to have. If he can keep making plays and stand out in a loaded safety room like he has up to this point, his future with the Jets could take a completely different turn if the offseason success carries over.

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