06 Sep GETTING TO KNOW: NEW YORK JETS CORNERBACK, BRYCE HALL

 Bryce Hall was one of the Jets’ ironmen on defense last season. He played in all 17 games and led the team in the number of defensive snaps taken (1,169), playing more than 98% of the snaps during the 2021 NFL season. He was one of only 13 cornerbacks to play over 1,000 snaps in 2021. He ranked second in the NFL with 17 forced incompletions, including a league-best six inside the red zone. The big knock on Hall was that he did not get his hands on the football enough. He had no interceptions and 16 passes defensed. PFF graded him the 56th-best cornerback out of 116. He had a 101.5 passer rating against, gave up six touchdowns and committed seven penalties.

Last season, Hall was part of an evolving cornerbacks room that was young and included rookies Michael Carter II, Brandin Echols, Isaiah Dunn and Jason Pinnock (who has since been switched to safety). In many ways, Hall emerged as the leader of the group. But to say things have changed in the cornerback room would be a soaring understatement. First came the signing in free agency of D.J. Reed from Seattle. That

was followed by the drafting of Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. And while some observers have already anointed Gardner the starter, head coach Robert Saleh has encouraged competition.

How are you feeling these days? Are you ready for the season?

I’m feeling great. Can’t wait for the season to start!

During this off season, the cornerback position on the Jets has become very competitive. What do you think about that?

The mindset I try to take is you’re your own biggest competitor. I’ve heard Deion Sanders say — ‘Your biggest competitor isn’t with the guys that come to work, it’s the part of you that has to wake up each morning and put in the work. It’s the part of you that doesn’t want to watch film, but you know you have to watch film. It’s the part of you that’s saying I want to eat this, eat that, and you know you’ve got to take care of your body.’ And so I think for me, how I approach things is, there’s so many things I can control. I really try not to worry about what everybody else is doing, but just try to be the best me and I feel like if I do that, everything is going to take care of itself.

Will you be upset if you start off the season this year on the sideline and Sauce Gardner starts?

I feel like everything happens for a reason. My faith is a big part in why I have peace in where I’m at. If I do what I’m supposed to do, if I continue to get better, then everything is going to work out the way it is supposed to. I don’t really worry, honestly. All that stuff just takes away from my game and what I’m trying to do in the present. Nothing really good comes from that.

Do you think you need to get more interceptions this year?

I think it goes hand in hand with seeking it out, visualizing, being able to see where you find your opportunities. I think it’s being more intentional. If I see something, take my shot. All of that comes within the framework of the defense. None of that comes from being outside yourself. Naturally through the ebbs and flows of the game you’re going to get your opportunities. Last year I had plenty of opportunities and I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing and convert those opportunities and I think everything will work out.