Well, now we know why the Jets added a running back instead of a cornerback, a day after losing cornerback Darrelle Revis for the season.
The Jets plan to get more use out of running back Joe McKnight at the cornerback position.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Ryan said that McKnight will spend more time on defense.
“We’ll do that this week with Joe McKnight,” Ryan said. “He’ll have a role on offense, but we’re also teaching him how to play corner. . . . Not quite a full-time capacity, but he’s going to be over there a ton in the meetings and everything else.”
McKnight played defensive back in high school before becoming a running back at USC, and he has pitched in during practice.
“He’s a guy that we saw on scout team when he was a rookie,” Ryan said. “He has the necessary skills to be able to play corner. He’s got the speed, the size, the athleticism, the ball skills. Everything you look for in a corner. So, I don’t think there’s any reason not to think that Joe McKnight couldn’t be a corner.”
As McKnight slides down the depth chart at running back, it’s not just an opportunity to diversify his portfolio of skills. It could end up being a path toward remaining on the roster.