UK_WhoDat

Aug. 29, 2014 10:25 p.m. ET

Cornerback Kyle Wilson has become a symbol of the bad drafting by the last Jets regime and the perceived penny-pinching of the current one.

Glaring miscues this preseason haven't helped, nor has the former first-round pick's inability to seize a starting role in a secondary riddled with injuries. (Dexter McDougle is out for the year with a torn knee ligament, Dee Milliner may miss the Sept. 7 opener with a high-ankle sprain, and Dimitri Patterson is currently suspended after an unauthorized absence from the team.)

But the truth lies in the middle—of the field, that is. Wilson is the reigning king of the slot cornerbacks, the ones who cover wide receivers between the hashmarks.

Last year, Wilson led all slot cornerbacks by allowing just one reception every 11.63 snaps in slot coverage (24 receptions for 279 coverage snaps). And he allowed only 221 yards on those catches, or 0.79 yards per coverage snap, according to ProFootballFocus.

So if Wilson never moves to the outside as a starter, it doesn't necessarily mean he's not good enough. It may mean that he's just too good at his more specialized role.

And it's an increasingly important role. Last year, a record 66% of offensive snaps across the NFL featured three or more wide receivers, thus requiring the presence of slot cornerbacks like Wilson. (As recently as 2005, only 40% of offensive snaps required a slot cornerback, according to Stats, LLC.) Four of the Jets' early opponents this season—Green Bay, Detroit, San Diego and Denver—used three or more receivers on more than 75% of snaps last season, so Wilson should be in high demand early in the season.

The reasonable question is: Why not have Wilson use his cover skills on the outside when opponents don't use a slot receiver, and move him inside when they do? The reasonable answer: Wilson would likely be at a disadvantage in facing a wide receiver who had just been resting on the sidelines while Wilson was chasing outside receivers on the previous down.

—Michael Salfino

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