The New York Jets had a Top 5 defense last season, but they're not resting on their laurels heading into 2023.

Continuing to look for ways to improve their defense, the Jets signed Adrian Amos to a reported one-year, $4 million contract Tuesday. The move adds another veteran to an impressive unit.

So far this offseason, the Jets have re-signed starting linebacker Quincy Williams, drafted edge rusher Will McDonald IV in the first round, signed veteran defensive linemen Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods and traded for safety Chuck Clark.

Amos has started every game since 2018 and was second on the Green Bay Packers with 102 tackles last season. Yes, he’s another former Packer, joining Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Billy Turner and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on the Jets this season.

That said, let’s examine how the signing of Adrian Amos affects the Jets defense in 2023.

Adrian Amos, Chuck Clark, Jordan Whitehead create stiff competition for Jets at safety

The Jets have three veterans for two starting spots at the safety position. Adrian Amos will battle Clark and Jordan Whitehead for playing time. Each is primarily a strong safety, though Amos has experience playing free safety. So, that is an interesting subplot to the competition.

Amos is not a big playmaker, but he's been consistently good against the run and is a sure tackler. That's important for the Jets, whose safeties last season — Whitehead and Larmarcus Joyner — missed a slew of tackles and allowed quite a few extra yards in the running and passing games. Safety was a rare weak spot on a talented Jets defense.

Clark is another veteran that excels tackling. So, that puts an onus on Whitehead to change the narrative during camp and the preseason.

Amos did struggle in the passing game last season, though he’s been solid there throughout his career. Pro Football Focus gave him a 45.6 coverage grade last season, allowing quarterbacks to complete 75 percent of passes his way. Just two seasons ago, he had an outstanding 91.5 coverage grade.

It’d be hard to imagine Amos signed with the Jets to be a backup. In fact, he’s probably the best of the three veterans, a player who consistently was among Green Bay’s leading tacklers four years running. With that said, this might come down to Whitehead, a Super Bowl champion coming off a subpar season, against Clark, a proud vet who’s motivated to prove the Baltimore Ravens wrong for giving up on him.

Jets have impressive depth at safety

Viewed as a weakness at the start of the offseason, the Jets now have impressive depth at safety. No matter how the competition to start shakes out, New York will have a motivated veteran in a backup role. If there’s an injury or slip in play by a starter, the Jets can confidently go next man up.

Then there’s the trickle-down effect. The Jets now can develop Tony Adams and not rush him on to the field. The Jets believe Adams can be a hidden gem. They also like undrafted free agent Trey Dean and sixth-round pick Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who can play safety and corner. Again, with three veterans at the top of the Jets depth chart at safety, they can bring the kids along slowly.

Ashtyn Davis could be odd man out for Jets

Ashtyn Davis is entering his fourth NFL season, but instead of vying for a starting spot, the 2020 third-round pick likely will end up being cut.

Davis is a terrific athlete and a solid special teams contributor. But the Jets can save $2.7 million against the salary cap if he's cut. That's a nice chunk of change, especially with Whitehead ($4.9 million), Clark ($4.1 million) and Amos (reportedly $4 million) counting roughly $13 million against the cap at the safety position.

As mentioned above, the Jets love Adams and are intrigued by others, including Marquis Waters. As a third-string safety, the Jets likely will want to have a less expensive option, especially if it’s someone they believe can start one day down the road.