How the hell am I supposed to know who this is? - Qwan'tez Stiggers

by Site Admin

In an occasional feature, we briefly highlight any of the lesser-known players that make an unexpected impact during camp, preseason or the regular season.

Today, we focus on cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers:

What he did:

Stiggers was widely expected to be at least a year away from contributing after not having played college football. However, having spent last year in the CFL, the rookie has adjusted well to his first exposure to NFL-level practices.

He's already been a playmaker during OTAs so far and Stiggers was was able to continued this into minicamp. He broke up a jump ball to Allen Lazard in the end zone on Wednesday and also made this play:

Outlook:

With the Jets having moved Isaiah Oliver to safety, the path is clear for Stiggers to compete with Brandin Echols to be the first cornerback off the bench in 2024.

If he performs well, there might even be a starting spot available in 2025, since DJ Reed and Deuce Carter will both be out of contract.

Training camp will be telling for Stiggers because rookies often come out of the gate fast but then the veterans take their time to settle in and overtake them later on as they hit the wall. Although, having already been through a training camp at the professional level, even if it was up in Canada, perhaps Stiggers will be able to sustain a high level of play.

Another thing he needs to do is establish himself as a special teams contributor. Stiggers definitely has that potential based on his year in the CFL, but if he can't win a role on special teams during the season, he could end up being a healthy scratch more often than not.

More on Stiggers:

Here's our in-depth scouting report on Stiggers.