New York Jets fans who watched rookie Dee Milliner struggle throughout last season are still wondering if general manager John Idzik might trade for an established cornerback.
It's not going to happen -- in large part because Idzik believes Milliner is a future No. 1 corner.
After seeing Ed Reed's impact on Milliner's game late last season, teammates believe the No. 9 pick in the 2013 draft will be a reliable starter in his second season.
"I feel like Dee has matured," cornerback Ellis Lankster said this week, via The Star-Ledger. "Dee knows the game now. The last four weeks of the season, Ed Reed took Dee under his wing. He just taught him the game. As of right now, I feel like, in the future or this year, Dee is going to be one of the top corners in the NFL."
It's a not a far-fetched idea that a player viewed as the consensus top cornerback in his draft class will make good on his promising talent once he has acclimated to NFL offenses.
"I think Dee is going to have a great year," safety Jaiquawn Jarrett said, echoing Lankster's sentiments. "He's been doing great in his workouts. He's playing more confident. He's vocal."
Coming off shoulder surgery, Milliner was benched three times before showing enough to earn Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for December. The Jets coaches have to be thrilled that the former Alabama star's confidence is such that he is already asking to shadow opposing No. 1 receivers.
Perhaps Idzik knew what he was doing all along when he slow-played the veteran cornerback market in free agency.
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