Training camp began this week for the New York Jets and there is plenty of optimism surrounding the team in 2026. By most accounts, the team had a terrific offseason adding quality veterans with familiarity playing for head coach Aaron Glenn and also set themselves up for a nice future with their 2026 NFL draft class at key positions.
Jets Wire will break down each position and focus on key matchups as well as discuss a player that has plenty to prove to this coaching staff in 2026. For our next position breakdown, we will look at safety, which received a much needed facelift after a brutal season from the secondary as a whole last year:
2025 Recap
Andre Cisco was the big move of last offseason as the Jets hoped a change of scenery to his hometown would
help him bounce back after a disappointing final year in Jacksonville. But, Cisco was brutal in coverage and suffered a season-ending injury that really hurt the Jets depth.
Tony Adams had another up and down season, although he wasn't as bad in coverage as many believed. Fourth-round pick Malachi Moore had a season expected of a rookie. A few highs with quite a bit of lows. General manager Darren Mougey didn't invest many resources into this position and it left them exposed for the second half of the season.
2026 Depth Chart
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Malachi Moore, Andre Cisco, Dane Belton, VJ Payne (Rookie), Dean Clark
One of the Jets big moves of this offseason was acquiring Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins via trade and giving him a three-year, $40 million extension. Fitzpatrick’s stats were a little disappointing last year, but he’s still one of the top safeties in the league at 29-years-old and was excellent in coverage. His versatility will also allow Glenn to play him on the line of scrimmage and as a nickel corner, giving him more opportunities to make plays. He's considered an excellent locker room leader, which was missing from last year's team.
Belton was with the New York Giants last year and is considered to be a great tackler, which is an area the Jets have been terrible for far too long.
Cisco returns to the Jets for another year to add depth and to possibly redeem himself after last season. Payne was selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft and while he definitely has size (6’3, 208 lbs.), he’s considered very raw and could be more of a practice squad candidate this year.
Player With Plenty To Prove
Dane Belton
The Jets added Belton on a one-year deal for about $4 million dollars to add some much needed depth to the secondary. He finished with 120 combined tackles last year to go along with an interception and three forced fumbles. However, he's allowed a 67.5% completion percentage in coverage and opposing quarterbacks had a combined passer rating of 101.1 last year, which is the worst of his young career.
Belton did have six interceptions in four seasons with the Giants and is a strong special teams player as well. There are plenty of positive traits to his game and while he wasn't great in coverage, his numbers last year were the best of his four years in the league. Belton's durability is huge as he's only missed two games out of the 66 he's played in his career.
Key Matchup
Malachi Moore vs. Andre Cisco
This feels like Moore's job to lose based on his physicality and how disappointing Cisco was last year before his injury. Cisco is only 26 years old could have a chip on his shoulder in camp knowing he has a chance to start next to Fitzpatrick. He has plenty left in the tank, but probably needs to have a flawless camp to take the job away from Moore, who enters his second year in the league with high expectations after being compared to Lions safety Brian Branch upon being drafted.
It's a bit surprising that the early depth charts from a few of the Jets beat writers show Cisco as the favorite to start instead of Moore. While that may not prove anything, it is a bit telling as the writers have plenty of inside knowledge on the team's thinking. It would be a bad look if Moore is unable to beat out Cisco, who has really struggled to regain his form that made him a top safety during the 2022 & 2023 seasons.
Way Too Early 2026 Depth Chart
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Malachi Moore, Dane Belton, Andre Cisco, VJ Payne
Fitzpatrick is a lock and when the dust clears, Moore should beat out Belton and Cisco for the other starting spot.
If Cisco can stay healthy, he'll be a very valuable depth piece to protect in the event of injury. Belton is a very intriguing player who has plenty of ability and can force turnovers. It was a little surprising that the Jets didn't address this position earlier in the draft, opting to take a flyer on Payne with a seventh-round pick.
Compared to last season, this still looks like a much improved group with plenty of youth and a leader in Fitzpatrick they haven't had in quite some time.
Jets Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 NFL season.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: 2026 New York Jets training camp preview: Safety
