The Jets have added a fifth cornerback to their roster.
The club has promoted veteran corner LeQuan Lewis from the practice squad, the team said Wednesday evening.
The placement of Lewis on the 53-player roster comes one day after the club released corner Ellis Lankster. It also comes with key cornerback Dee Milliner sitting out practice Wednesday with a quadricep injury.
If Milliner is sidelined Sunday vs. Detroit, Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls will be the Jets’ primary cornerbacks, with Kyle Wilson the third corner. Lewis and Philip Adams would be the options beyond the top three, though their special teams work could be more important than their defensive contributions. Walls and Allen played all 66 defensive snaps on Monday night, with Wilson playing 21 on defense. Adams played just four defensive snaps, but he logged 14 on special teams, while the now-departed Lankster played 17 special teams snaps while not getting a single defensive rep.
The 25-year-old Lewis spent the first three games of 2014 on the Jets’ practice squad. He has also had stints with the Cardinals, Bears, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Raiders and Titans. An Arizona State product, Lewis (5-11, 190) signed with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent in 2011.