The New York Jets of the late 2000s and early 2010s were some of football’s most confusing teams. They featured a 4-12 effort in 2007, back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances in the 2009 and 2010 seasons and even a swift fall back down to earth in the ensuing years.
Someone who was around for it all was legendary cornerback Darrelle Revis. He played through the good, the bad and the ugly while turning in some of football’s best production. By now, it’s well-established that the Pro Football Hall of Fame man was a tremendous corner. How much of a value add was he for New York, though?
That’s what Eric Edholm of NFL media recently set out to decipher. In his July 3 ranking of the top five cornerback NFL Draft values of this millennium, Revis took home the second spot. The longtime Jet trailed only Seattle Seahawks standout Richard Sherman.
Despite Going 14th Overall, ‘Special’ Darrelle Revis Makes Exclusive List
Sherman’s inclusion makes sense, as he went in the fifth round back in 2011. The same applies to Darius Slay (second round in 2013), Charles Tillman (second round in 2003) and Asante Samuel (fourth round in 2003). Revis is the lone first-round pick in that group, which is a testament to his greatness. The praise keeps coming for the recently-inducted Bag Hall of Famer.
Edholm simply had to include Revis, regardless of how high he went in the 2007 NFL Draft.
“If a player is drafted 14th overall and we’re still talking about him being a value pick, you know he had to be special,” Edholm wrote. “Revis wasn’t just special — he was his own island. There was a time when there was no more feared cover man in football than Revis. He quickly acclimated to NFL receivers’ size and skill and became a true shutdown corner in an era when those barely existed. Offenses boomed across the league during Revis’ early years, and yet, there he was, putting even the NFL’s finest receivers into dark, lonely cages.”
Revis Will Always Be Remembered as a New York Jets Legend
It’s oftentimes forgotten that Revis actually had two stints with the Jets. After staying in town from 2007-2012, he departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. After that, he had a cameo with the New England Patriots for their Super Bowl-winning 2014 season. Revis then returned to New Jersey for 2015 and 2016, ending his playing career with the Kansas City Chiefs for a bit in 2017. That’s a lot to keep track of, sure, but football fans know the most important part. Revis was, and always will be, a Jet.
Revis’ accomplishments in green and white outweigh what he did elsewhere by a ton. In addition to making the Pro Bowl in 2015, he was a Jets honoree for the game four straight times from 2008-2011. The 2009-2011 campaigns, largely considered his true peak, saw Revis record 10 interceptions and 62 passes defended en route to three first-team All-Pro berths. He also finished second in league Defensive Player of the Year voting to kick off that span.
Remember those aforementioned conference title game appearances? They don’t happen without Revis. In 2009 and 2010, the Jets fielded two of the NFL’s most dominant defenses. Revis was at the forefront of those efforts, single-handedly shutting out entire sides of the field with his pay. The All-Decade man experienced some of the greatest highs in league history at that time; New York has been soul-searching ever since.
The Jets have made some great value-based draft picks in their existence. Despite how early he fell off the board, Revis might just be the best one.
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