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Over the next month or so, we're going to be reviewing some of the top draft prospects at each position to try and assess some potential candidates that the Jets will show interest in. We continue today with a look at the 2019 safety class.

Jets Needs: Safety

When the Jets used their first two picks on safeties in 2017, that made it unlikely the safety position would be considered a draft priority for the next few years, especially since Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye had such impressive rookie seasons. However, while Adams went from strength to strength in 2018, Maye had multiple injury issues, missing 10 starts.

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With the 2019 coaching staff starting to take shape, let's assess whom the new Jets coaches could look to target, based on whom they've coached in the past.

Edge defender Robert Quinn, Miami

The 28-year old Quinn was the Dolphins' highest paid player last season and is widely expected to be a cap casualty during the offseason. If he is, expect the Jets to show interest because he was one player who played hard down the stretch for head coach Adam Gase. While he only ended up with 6.5 sacks, 5.5 of those came in the final seven games. Earlier in the year, Gase jumped to Quinn's defense, saying creating pressure was more important to the way the Dolphins were playing than recording sacks.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said S Marcus Maye underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair his shoulder injury that placed him on the IR for the remainder of the season. 

When asked about his expected recovery, Bowles answered with "a couple months," which is a good sign for the second-year player.

Maye, a second-round pick in 2017, is the seventh-leading tackler for the Jets in 2018-2019. He tallied 34 tackles, a half-sack, a forced fumble and one interception in six games this season.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter: The Jets dropped to 3-8 on the season but surprisingly hung with the Patriots into the fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon at Metlife Stadium. However, they were left to rue some costly mistakes that made all the difference in the Patriots' eventual 27-13 win.

Offensively, the Jets had more success moving the ball this week, although they only managed to find the end zone once, on Jermaine Kearse's first half touchdown reception. Stand-in quarterback Josh McCown led a two-minute drill just before halftime and Jason Myers' fifth 55-yard field goal of the season sent the teams to the locker room tied at 10-10 but New England was able to pull away in the second half.

On defense, the Jets played well in stretches, but there were still far too many breakdowns in the defensive secondary, with wide open receivers being able to exploit gaps in the Jets' coverage for several big plays. Sony Michel and James White also had big days running the football, combining for over 200 yards -- the majority of which came in the second half.

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is still uncertain for Sunday's game against the Patriots as he looks to return from a strained right foot.

Darnold dressed for practice for the second straight day but did not participate again, however he said he feels he's getting closer to returning.

"Every single day I feel like I'm progressing and I'm doing so much more in terms of learning and all that," Darnold said, according to NYJets.com's Randy Lange. "So hopefully I can do a little bit more tomorrow and see where we go from there."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

This is a terrible time for New York football, with the Giants and Jets sitting on what feels like rock bottom. They are a combined 5-14 this season, and the playoffs are already out of reach. And they are a combined 13-38 (.254) since the beginning of 2018.

But while there may not be hope at the moment for either team, there is still some talent on their two rosters. If they could only somehow combine the two, they might even have the makings of a playoff team.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

This is a terrible time for New York football, with the Giants and Jets sitting on what feels like rock bottom. They are a combined 5-14 this season, and the playoffs are already out of reach. And they are a combined 13-38 (.254) since the beginning of 2018.

But while there may not be hope at the moment for either team, there is still some talent on their two rosters. If they could only somehow combine the two, they might even have the makings of a playoff team.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

This is a terrible time for New York football, with the Giants and Jets sitting on what feels like rock bottom. They are a combined 5-14 this season, and the playoffs are already out of reach. And they are a combined 13-38 (.254) since the beginning of 2018.

But while there may not be hope at the moment for either team, there is still some talent on their two rosters. If they could only somehow combine the two, they might even have the makings of a playoff team.

Jets RB Isaiah Crowell (ankle) will play Sunday against the Vikings. Crowell had 13 carries in Week 6 while dealing with an ankle injury. He missed multiple practices during the week but returned in a limited capacity on Friday.

Crowell racked up 219 rushing yards in the Jets' win over the Broncos in Week 5 and has totaled 430 yards on the ground in six games this season.

While Crowell is in, the Jets will be without CB Trumaine Johnson, CB Buster Skrine, CB Derrick Jones, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, and DL Foley Fatukasi...

QB Sam Darnold (elbow) appeared on Wednesday's Jets injury report, but said the issue is "nothing crazy," per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Darnold said he banged his right elbow while making a tackle following his interception during Sunday's win over the Colts. He added that it didn't affect him at all in practice, which he participated in fully on Wednesday.

Head coach Todd Bowles also told reporters he isn't worried about the rookie.

However, DL Leonard Williams (back), WR Robby Anderson (hamstring) and RB Isaiah Crowell (foot) highlighted a long list of Jets who did not practice.

Jets S Marcus Maye suffered a broken thumb during Sunday's win over the Colts, reports SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

According to Vacchiano, the team is still evaluating the extent of the injury. Maye missing three-to-four weeks is a reasonable estimate, adds Vacchiano, but is far from a certainty. 

Vacchiano adds that there is some hope that if Maye heals quickly and can tolerate the pain, he may be able to play with a cast on (Maye was wearing a cast after Sunday's game)...

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter: The Jets held off the banged-up Colts for a 42-34 win on Sunday to improve to 3-3 on the season. Let's highlight three of the best performances, along with three players who were disappointments.

Winners

QB Sam Darnold 

The Jets ruled cornerback Trumaine Johnson, tight end Neal Sterling and wide receiver Charone Peake out for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.

New York also listed safety Marcus Maye, who missed the first three games of the season but debuted last Sunday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, as questionable with an ankle/foot injury.

Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and cornerback Darryl Roberts, who respectively suffered injuries to their hip and hamstring Thursday, practiced in full on Friday.

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The Jets suffered a dispiriting 31-12 loss on the road in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon. Let's break down how each unit performed...

Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold didn't throw an interception this week, although he had one negated by a penalty flag. He only completed 50 percent of his passes and was sacked three times as the Jets were shut out in the first half and didn't get into the end zone until the fourth quarter. Darnold missed on some deep balls, which could have made the game closer...

WR Charone Peake (hamstring) and TE Neal Sterling (concussion) missed Jets practice on Wednesday.

Peake missed Week 4's loss to the Jaguars, while Sterling hasn't played since Week 1.

C Spencer Long (knee, finger) and S Marcus Maye (ankle, foot) were limited at practice.

Jets WR Terrelle Pyor injured his groin during practice on Thursday, head coach Todd Bowles said, adding his availability for Sunday's game against the Jaguars will depend on how he responds to treatment in the coming days.

Along with Pryor, S Marcus Maye (foot), S Doug Middleton, and CB Buster Skrine were all limited at practice, while WR Charone Peake and TE Neal Sterling (concussion) were both out.

Maye has missed the first three games of the season.

Jets S Marcus Maye (foot), S Doug Middleton, and CB Buster Skrine will all be game-time decisions on Sunday against the Jaguars, head coach Todd Bowles said Friday. 

Maye has missed the first three games of the season.

WR Charone Peake and TE Neal Sterling (concussion) are both out.

Jets second-year S Marcus Maye has had to watch for the past three weeks, but he was finally back out with his teammates on Wednesday for his first practice in over a month. 

Maye, who has been out with a foot injury, may not have practiced fully, but it was the most action we've seen from the Florida product. He says it was finally good to get back out on the field. 

"I feel pretty good," he told The Post's Brian Costello. "I got out there today for the first time and ran around for a little bit and felt pretty good."

Jets S Marcus Maye (foot), who has missed the first two games of the season, is listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Browns. 

LB Josh Martin (concussion) and TE Neal Sterling (concussion) have both been ruled out.

Martin also missed Week 2 against the Dolphins.

LB Josh Martin (concussion) and TE Neal Sterling (concussion) have both been ruled out of Thursday night's game against the Browns, head coach Todd Bowles said on Tuesday.

Martin also missed Week 2 against the Dolphins.

Jets S Marcus Maye (foot), who has missed the first two games of the season, has not yet been ruled out for Thursday night.

Jets S Marcus Maye (foot) remained out of practice on Friday and is doubtful for Sunday afternoon's game against the Dolphins. 

LB Josh Martin (concussion) has been ruled out. 

LB Neville Hewitt (knee) and WR Jermaine Kearse (abdomen) both practiced in full on Friday and are expected to play. 

Jets S Marcus Maye (foot) remained out at practice on Thursday after missing Monday's season-opener.

LB Josh Martin (concussion) and LB Neville Hewitt (knee) also remained out as the team prepares for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

For the Dolphins, RB Frank Gore (not injury related) and G Josh Sitton (shoulder) were out. LS John Denney (shoulder) was limited.

Jets S Marcus Maye (foot) remained out at practice Wednesday after missing Monday's season-opener.

LB Josh Martin (concussion) and LB Neville Hewitt (knee) were also out as the team prepares for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

For the Dolphins, WR Danny Amendola (not injury related) and G Josh Sitton (shoulder) were out. LS John Denney (shoulder) and WR DeVante Parker (finger) were limited. 

Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, safety Marcus Maye and linebacker Josh Martin are all among the Jets' inactive players for Monday's game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

The Jets will also play without offensive linemen Ben Braden and Dakota Dozier, defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi and cornerback Derrick Jones.

Linebackers Avery Williamson and Jeremiah Attaochu are both active after being upgraded from limited practice participants to full practice participants late in the week.

Jets LB Josh Martin will miss Monday's season opener against the Lions with a concussion, while S Marcus Maye and WR Jermaine Kearse are listed as doubtful.

Maye, who has been hampered by a foot injury, missed three consecutive days of practice, while Jermaine Kearse has been limited in practice due to an abdomen injury.

If all three players are unable to play, the Jets would lose three starters. In Martin's absence, the Jets activated Frankie Luvu from the practice squad and waived FB Lawrence Thomas. 

Jets S Marcus Maye may not be able to take the field on Monday night in Detroit, as he was once again a non-participant in practice on Friday. 

Maye continues to nurse a foot injury that he says isn't related to ankle surgery that he received this offseason. Head coach Todd Bowles said the foot was "sore" on Thursday, but Friday he addressed who would take his place if he is deemed ineligible to play. 

"(It's) between Doug Middleton and J.J. (Wilcox)," Bowles told reporters on Friday. "We will work with both and make a decision if he couldn't go."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Todd Bowles has never acknowledged that the Jets are a rebuilding team, no matter how obvious that may seem. He won't address the likely struggles his team will face with a 21-year-old rookie quarterback leading the way.

In fact, with a straight face, he refuses to rule out any possibility for his young team -- including the possibility of winning it all.

Jets S Marcus Maye still isn't back at practice due to a foot injury and now his status for week one is in question.

Todd Bowles said that Maye is "just sore" but failing to return to pracitce a few days before Monday night's matchup against the Lions is concerning for Gang Green.

Maye started all 16 games for the Jets in his rookie season last year, impressing alongisde Jamal Adams. Doug Middleton would be Maye's likely replacement should he not be able to play Monday.

The young nucleus of the Jets defense is known for their energetic, hard-hitting style of play. Will that change this season due to rule the NFL has installed for this season?

In short: no. Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye will continue playing just as they did during their rookie seasons. 

"I'm not going to change the way I play," Maye told Manish Mehta of the Daily News. "And I don't expect the other safeties around the league to change the way they play."

Cornerback Trumaine Johnson helped turn the Rams from a cellar dweller into a playoff team by the time he left. He hopes to do the same with the Jets.

After signing a five-year, $72.5 million contract with the Jets in the offseason, Johnson told reporters on Thursday he believes New York has "all the potential in the world to be a playoff team."

Though the Jets finished 5-11 last season, two of their wins came against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs, who both made the playoffs. Of their losses, six were by one possession.

The missing piece for the Jets finally seems to be in place, now that Sam Darnold has arrived as the young, franchise quarterback they've been dreaming of for decades. And that's what this summer is all about for the Jets: The growth of Darnold, and how quickly he'll really arrive.

That process begins on Thursday, when the full team is due to report to camp -- assuming Darnold has signed his rookie contract by then. Everything else around the Jets is window dressing, part of the slow, steady rebuilding effort with an eye on maybe contending next season.

Darnold, though, is the key. So how will he do, and will the rest of camp go for the Jets? Here are five bold predictions for what to expect between now and Opening Day...

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Over the next few weeks, we're going to break down each position in terms of which players are fighting for those final roster spots. Who is in danger of being cut? Who has a chance to earn themselves a bigger role? We continue with a look at the safety position.

Probable roster locks

The plan for the safety position is the same as last year, with second-year players Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye re-assuming their starting roles. At least one of them was on the field for every single play in 2017, the pair combining to miss just 17 plays between them in the first 15 games.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The never-ending rebuilding loop that the Jets always seem to be stuck in finally seems to have an end in sight. And they will have plenty of high hopes for the future when the full team reports for training camp on July 26.

Here is Part 1 of what to look forward to when Jets training camp begins, which will be followed by Part 2 on Thursday...

The rise of Sam Darnold

Over the next few weeks, we're going to be looking back at last year's Jets rookies in an effort to assess what their role will be in 2018 and where we can expect them to make improvements on what they brought to the table last year.

As was the case with Jamal Adams, second round pick Marcus Maye has already managed to establish himself worthy of a full-time role within the Jets' defense. However, the 25-year old will be looking to make strides in his second season.

The Jets still have some money to spend, which is why they will be hosting free-agent S Kenny Vaccaro this week at their facility, per the Daily News' Manish Mehta.

Vaccaro was drafted 15th overall by the Saints back in 2013, where he has spent the last five season. His best year came in 2015 when he totaled 104 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and five passes defended. 

Last season, the 27-year-old tallied 79 tackles, one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble over 14 games. 

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Let's break down how the Jets' personnel packages and defensive rotations will shape out for the 2018 season given the players they acquired in the offseason.

Base defense

While the Jets are typically regarded as a 3-4 team, their defense has built-in flexibility because an outside linebacker can put his hand in the dirt to enable the Jets to also play with a four-man front with the same personnel. New York has also operated out of more conventional 4-3 formations at times over the past few seasons.

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In 2017, the Jets outperformed most preseason projections, many of which considered them to be the league's worst team with some even suggesting they'd be historically bad on offense, and would struggle to win a game as a result.

Although the season ended with a whimper after Josh McCown's season ending hand injury in December, the Jets still won five games. Even so, they found themselves last in the AFC East for the second straight year.

In last year's draft, the Jets used their first two picks on safeties, and Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye started every game alongside one another in the secondary. Those starting roles seem settled for the next few years, but the Jets like to operate out of packages with three and even four safeties, so Todd Bowles may be keen to add some depth.

Last year, Rontez Miles and Terrance Brooks each saw regular playing time, often playing together as the Jets used a four-safety dime package in passing situations. Also, Doug Middleton, who missed the season due to injury, was expected to contribute. All three are now out of contract though, so the Jets may look to fortify their depth in the draft.

While it seems unlikely the Jets would select another safety with their top pick, Alabama's Minkah Fitzpatrick is a possible consideration due to his versatility. Could Fitzpatrick be like Jalen Ramsey -- a hybrid cornerback/safety who has developed into one of the league's better cornerbacks?

In ESPN Mel Kiper's first mock draft, the Jets select Alabam CB Minkah Fitzpatrick with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. 

Fitzpatrick is widely considered the best cornerback among this year's prospects, and Kiper even views him as the best secondary man who can also play safety. The Jets already have two stout safeties in rookies Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye this season, but adding another dynamic player to the bunch would only enhance an already young defense that is on the verge of breaking out. 

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter: While he had a versatile role at Alabama, with plenty of reps as a slot corner or as a linebacker in dime packages, the majority of Fitzpatrick's reps were at the safety position. He has played some cornerback in the past, but it's difficult to project whether he'd be able to step in on the outside and start from day-one.

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The Patriots predictably disposed of the Jets effortlessly in the season finale, ultimately winning 26-6. From the Jets' perspective, the game was fairly meaningless, and they used it to get another look at some of the players whose future roles with the team are uncertain.

Let's start this week by breaking down the performances on the defensive side of the ball:

Jets S Marcus Maye left Sunday's game against the Patriots with an ankle injury and will not return, according to the team.

In two starts since taking over for the injured Josh McCown, Bryce Petty has underwhelmed for the Jets. 

Many are hoping to see what Christian Hackenberg might bring to the field, but the Jets are sticking with Petty for their season finale against the Patriots this Sunday. Head coach Todd Bowles says he's seen progress since Petty's first start against the Saints.

"Again, just the confidence," Bowles said. "It hasn't showed in the results and he still rushed some throws here or there, but the confidence of understanding where to go and commanding the offense. That part we've seen. (He) still has to execute all the plays though..."

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The Jets were competitive again, as they have been in every home game this year, but struggled to generate enough offense or any impact plays on defense in Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Meanwhile, the Chargers managed to keep their playoff hopes alive in a sloppy game that saw the teams combine for 18 punts. For New York, there's the sense that the conclusion of the season next week will predominantly be a relief to players and coaches alike.

Let's start this week by breaking down the performances on the defensive side of the ball:

Despite the fact second-year quarterback Christian Hackenberg has still not received any first-team reps in Jets practice, his teammates said he has improved while working with the scout team.

"I can see he has a greater command than last year," offensive tackle Ben Ijalana told NJ.com's Connor Hughes. "I feel like he's improving as the weeks progress. It's hard to progress and get get better out of scout team. It requires a lot of focus. The way that it's scripted is for the other side of the ball's success. There's a lot of carryover that you can use for the starting offense and I feel he does that very well."

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Despite being heavy underdogs, the Jets gave a solid account of themselves this week, exploiting some sloppy play from the Saints to make Sunday's game competitive deep into the fourth quarter. In the end, the Saints' offensive playmaking abilities were too much for the Jets to keep up with, but at least they quieted those critics who had been saying they'd get blown out again.

Let's review the defensive performance from Sunday's loss:

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The Jets overcame a shaky start to break out of their slump with their finest offensive performance of the season so far against the Chiefs. A late touchdown by Josh McCown gave the Jets the lead and the defense held on to preserve a 38-31 shootout win.

Let's review the defensive performance from Sunday's win:

Jonas Schwartz and Willie Colon are back in the studio for another edition of The Jet Stream podcast, as they look back at an impressive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. First, the guys welcome Connor Hughes of NJ.com to the show to discuss Todd Bowles' job security and the benching of Muhammad Wilkerson. Later, Jets safety Rontez Miles calls in to talk about Bowles and his two rookie teammates, Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.

Click below to listen

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The Jets overcame a shaky start to break out of their slump with their finest offensive performance of the season so far against the Chiefs. A late touchdown by Josh McCown gave the Jets the lead and the defense held on to preserve a 38-31 shootout win.

Let's review the defensive performance from Sunday's win:

The Jets (5-7) face the Denver Broncos (3-9) on Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Here's what's going on Tuesday:

Need to know

The Jets return to practice on Tuesday after head coach Todd Bowles gave the team the day off following "Victory Monday" in celebration of Sunday's 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano will be attending practice this week. Follow @RVacchianoSNY on Twitter to keep up with all the latest Jets news and rumors.