Jets S Lamarcus Joyner no longer a ‘misfit’ after stint with Raiders

Lamarcus Joyner’s defensive position has ping-ponged between cornerback and safety throughout his seven-year NFL career.

The Rams drafted Joyner as a safety in 2014 but moved him to nickel cornerback for the first three seasons of his career. He switched to free safety under new coach Sean McVay in 2017 and excelled. But when he signed with the Raiders in 2019, the team moved him back to nickel cornerback, where he struggled for two seasons.

“It was a misfit,” he said Wednesday about his role with the Raiders. “But I don’t think I’m trying to turn my career around [in New York]. I think I did everything, to my knowledge, that I wanted to do throughout my career.”

Fortunately for Joyner, the Jets signed him to be a safety this offseason. He’s welcoming the return, as well as an opportunity to play for Robert Saleh.

“I’m so happy to be here with coach Saleh,” Joyner said. “Being that free safety is a natural feel. It makes it easier to come to work every day because that’s where I fit.”

Joyner’s relationship with the nickel cornerback role is complicated. He wasn’t shy about wanting to switch back to safety in 2017 before Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips eventually made the change. But Joyner called the nickel back a “natural and instinctual” position for himself when he signed with the Raiders in 2019 and appeared excited to play both positions. He struggled in the 28 games he played for the team, however.

Joyner won’t have to worry about his role in New York. With a young secondary, the Jets need him as a veteran presence in the defensive backfield alongside Marcus Maye. The safety position plays a large role in the defense the Jets will run under Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich – both in coverage and for support against the run.

After thriving as a free safety in 2017 and 2018, the Jets are hoping the 30-year-old Joyner can return to form in New York. He’s shown in training camp that he still possesses a lot of the skills required to shine in the Jets’ defense, but he’ll need to put it all together in the regular season to tie the rest of the Gang Green’s defense together.

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