2017 NFL Draft: Jets select S Marcus Maye 39th overall

FLORHAM PARK -- The Jets have made it clear that they are committed to fixing their mess of a defensive backfield.

The Jets selected Florida safety Marcus Maye with the 39th overall pick on Friday night, their second consecutive safety selection to start the draft.

On Thursday night, the Jets made the easy decision to select LSU safety Jamal Adams No. 6 overall after he improbably slid down the draft board. But Friday night's decision in the second round was more complex.

The Jets could have used that pick to take quarterback like Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer, talented but troubled Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, or Ashland tight end Adam Shaheen -- it's not as if the Jets' offense is flush with playmakers.

Instead, they took another defensive back in Maye. General manager Mike Maccagnan explained the decision early Saturday morning, saying he was the highest rated player on the Jets' draft board.

"There were other players around him," Maccagnan said. "But we felt there was a good enough separation from the other players around him. We felt very good about this player. Going into the draft we knew there were some very good players in different positions, he was a guy we identified early. We liked him very much from a football-playing standpoint and also from a personal standpoint."

Here's a scouting report from NFL.com: 

Interchangeable safety with the instincts of a free safety and the physicality of a box player. Thrives as a downhill player and has the instincts and speed to operate effectively from both single-high and two-deep looks. Has the physical attributes and intelligence to step into a starter's role early on and will be a strong contributor on special teams.

The Jets finally got some offensive help in the third round, taking Alabama receiver ArDarius Stewart with the 79th overall pick.

The Jets, who were originally slated to pick 70th, traded down nine spots with Minnesota and received a fifth round pick (160th overall) in exchange. Later, the Jets traded the final pick of the third round (107th overall) to Tampa for a fourth- and seventh- round pick. So the Jets will pick six times in the final four rounds of the draft on Saturday: 125th overall (4th round), 150th and 160th (5th round), 191st and 204th (6th round) and 224th (7th round).

But the big focus in the first two days was defense -- and safety, in particular. In a conference call Friday night, Maye admitted he was a little surprised the Jets chose him after selecting Adams on Thursday night. But he's also looking forward to the opportunity to play with Adams.

"I feel like we'll do great," Maye said.of Adams. "He's a competitor, he's a great ballplayer. He has a lot of talent and being out there with a guy like that, he's just going to make you be great as well. I'm going to try to be the best that I can be and he's going to be the best that he can be."

Jets coach Todd Bowles said he believes both Maye and Adams are compatible to play together.

"They do completement each other well," Bowles said. "I think both of them have a nose for the ball as far as making tackles. Both of them play off blocks very well. ... I think they're interchangable."

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Maye said he visited with the Jets and liked Bowles' defense and the scheme.

"There's a lot of talent out there," Maye said. "They fly around."

He said he's fully healthy after a broken arm caused him to miss the final four games of Florida's season.

Maye views versatility as his greatest strength and said he's comfortable playing both free or strong safety.

The decision to draft Maye is likely a bad sign for both of the safeties remaining on the Jets' roster. Calvin Pryor is coming off a down season in which he struggled, especially in coverage -- the Jets have yet to pick up his fifth-year option, the deadline is next week. Pryor had been linked to trade rumors earlier Friday,

Veteran safety Marcus Gilchrist will likely miss the start of the season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in December.

Email: vasqueza@northjersey.com