Jets sign former Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead

Jets general manager Joe Douglas spent Tuesday afternoon fixing one of the biggest weaknesses on his team.

Douglas added two starters in the secondary, agreeing to a deal with safety Jordan Whitehead shortly after reaching an agreement with cornerback D.J. Reed, according to a source.

The Jets pass defense was a major problem in 2021. They were 30th in the NFL in yards allowed and only intercepted seven passes. The Jets went through nine different starters at safety and had an extremely young secondary.

Whitehead was a fourth-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2018. He started 55 regular-season games in four years for Tampa Bay and has five career interceptions. Whitehead, 24, also knows what winning looks like after helping lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory in 2020.

The Jets are expected to let Marcus Maye leave in free agency, leaving a starting spot open at safety. The team re-signed Lamarcus Joyner, and he could be the starter alongside Whitehead. The Jets also have been connected to Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in many mock drafts as a potential prospect with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.