The Jets installed first-round pick Dee Milliner as a starting cornerback pretty much immediately after he signed his rookie deal even though he missed all of minicamp rehabbing his surgically repaired shoulder.
That missed time may be affecting Milliner in his transition to the NFL because he followed up a mediocre opening game against Tampa with one poor enough to land him on the bench after 37 snaps against the Patriots. Coach Rex Ryan said after the game that he still believes that Milliner will be a “tremendous player,” but on Friday he wouldn’t say whether or not Milliner would reclaim the starting job any time soon.
“I don’t know. We’ll see,” Ryan said, via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “The young man, like I said before, it’s unfortunate that he missed so much work. All of minicamp rehabbing the shoulder surgery. He missed a lot of training camp as well, so we kind of just threw him into the fire.”
Darrin Walls and Kyle Wilson filled in for Milliner on Thursday night with Walls breaking up a couple of the passes that didn’t get thrown to Julian Edelman or dropped by other Patriots receivers. Wilson’s best suited for the slot, so Walls could get the call if the Jets decide they want Milliner to do more watching and less playing in the immediate future.