New York Jets: 3 Things Mike Maccagnan must accomplish in 2018

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 31: New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan stands on the sidelines during their preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on August 31, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

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AUBURN, AL – NOVEMBER 25: Carlton Davis (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

1. Help wanted — A No. 1 Cornerback

New York is going to need to replace Wilkerson once he is cut and hopefully they will re-sign linebacker Demario Davis, their best defensive player last season. With that being said, the Jets have to secure a number one cornerback.

Gang Green has one of the best young safety tandems in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. Now they have to add a shutdown corner. Morris Claiborne may leave via free agency and Buster Skrine is best suited as a nickel back. What to do? Well, there are plenty of viable options in the NFL Draft.

Carlton Davis (Auburn), Denzel Ward (Ohio State) and Joshua Jackson (Iowa) all fit the profile of being a number one NFL cornerback. All are expected to be selected in the first round. Unless Maccagnan makes a trade, he would need to use that sixth overall pick to bring one of the talented trio on board. All three would be worthy of a high draft slot.

We may never know why Bill Belichick benched Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl LII. What we do know is that Butler is a free agent and he has played his last game in New England. Butler led the Patriots in defensive snaps in 2017. How good would he look in Jets green and white? The 27-year old cornerback may want to stick it to the Pats and sign with a division rival. He won’t come cheaply though. The asking price would probably be at least $13-14 million a year. It’s something to keep an eye on.

Next: Kirk Cousins: 7 Landing spots after Alex Smith trade

Any way you slice it, Maccagnan has a plethora of important decisions to make. He has a golden opportunity to reshape his beleaguered roster into a viable contender. Jets fans expect nothing less.

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