Over the next few months, we’ll be breaking down all of the players added by the Jets during free agency and in the legal tampering window. We continue today with safety Dane Belton.
The 25-year old Belton is listed at 6’1” and 205 pounds and was a fourth round pick out of Iowa in 2022. He spent his first four seasons with the Giants, for whom he started a total of 22 games, racking up 240 tackles, four sacks and six interceptions.
Belton was a three-star high school prospect who had 25 scholarship offers but opted to go to Iowa, having grown up as a fan of the team.
With the Hawkeyes he worked his way into the rotation and started four games as a true freshman. He ended the year with 33 tackles and two tackles for loss in eight games.
His role increased as a sophomore as he started all eight games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and had 33 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. In addition, his five pass breakups were enough to make him tied for the team lead and good for ninth in the Big Ten, earning him an honorable mention.
Belton’s junior year saw him earn first team all-Big Ten honors as he had 46 tackles, seven pass breakups and five interceptions. At the end of the season, he announced he would enter the 2022 draft as an underclassman and ended up getting selected in the fourth round by the Giants.
Although he was never a full-time starter with the Giants, he was a valuable rotational contributor and spot starter with them, showing improvement over the course of his career.
Belton started five games as a rookie in 2022 and ended up with 31 tackles and two interceptions, then had 33 tackles and two interceptions in 2023 despite only starting two games.
In 2024, he made six starts and had 56 tackles, six pass breakups, an interception and a sack.
2025 saw Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin miss seven games between them and Nubin was also benched for a couple of games so Belton got to start nine times. He made the most of the increased playing time with 120 tackles, two sacks, five pass breakups and an interception.
He signed for the Jets on a one-year free agent deal worth a reported $4 million.
Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Belton brings to the table, based on in-depth research and film study.
Belton is undersized and lacks length but showed good strength with 18 bench press reps at his pro day.
His combine workout was solid as he ran 4.43 in the 40-yard dash and posted good explosiveness numbers. Although his agility numbers were below average he did those drills again at his pro day and showed a dramatic improvement.
Belton, who also played as a wide receiver in high school, was actually playing outside linebacker when he first broke into the Iowa starting lineup, although this was at the Cash position, which is more of a hybrid safety role. He started both there and at strong safety in his final season.
At the NFL level, Belton has typically played more in the box than as a deep safety.
Belton’s coverage numbers are not bad but he is generally more effective in short zone coverages rather than down the field. He is also an option to match up with tight ends.
During his NFL career, he has only given up one play of more than 35 yards. He also didn’t give up any 40 yard plays in college. However, this speaks to the fact he’s been employed in a way that masks his weaknesses because he can look vulnerable in space.
As noted, he’s less comfortable in a deep safety role than he is when he can play closer to the line of scrimmage.
He has been beaten for six touchdowns at the NFL level and five in college.
Belton’s on-ball numbers are not eye-popping in terms of his pass breakup numbers, but he had five interceptions in his final college season and has at least one in each of his four NFL seasons with six in four years overall.
As a former high school receiver, he shows an ability to track and come up with the ball.
Belton has increased his tackle production over the course of his career, culminating in last season where he was credited with 120 in just over 700 snaps. 60 of those were assists and many of them were downfield, though.
What’s most impressive about his tackling is that he doesn’t miss many tackles. His missed tackle percentage was the second lowest in the entire NFL in 2025. He was trucked on this play though:
He has displayed good hustle, effort and range in pursuit at times, especially on this play:
Belton had three forced fumbles last season, having previously had just two in his previous six seasons at the NFL and college levels.
This is another area of improvement for Belton, who is comfortable playing close to the line of scrimmage having previously been a linebacker.
According to analysis site Pro Football Focus, his run defense grades were bad in his first two seasons, but he improved in year three and was legitimately good in 2025.
Belton doesn’t blitz that often, but when he does his pressure percentages are solid.
He had had four sacks in four seasons at the NFL level having previously only had one sack in his college career.
Belton did not play much on special teams in college, where he had just one tackle in his career. However, he developed into a core special teamer with the Giants.
Contributing on all units apart from the placekicking unit, Belton had 11 special teams tackles in his first three seasons and then added 16 last year.
He also ran for a first down on a fake punt.
Belton has not returned kicks at the NFL level but did do it as a high-schooler.
Belton plays with a physical style. As noted, he has experience at linebacker so he is experienced at taking on blocks or matching up with tight ends. He can also hit hard.
He has five penalties in his NFL career, including two for pass interference, one for illegal contact and one for illegal use of the hands.
Belton is a player whose deep instincts were considered to be lacking and who was felt to be slow to read his keys as a college prospect according to some draft analysts.
However, at the pro level, he’s shown some good abilities to diagnose plays quickly and anticipate blocks.
His former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale praised him as a student of the game who always does the right things.
He can be a step slow to react at times and sometimes lacks awareness of what’s going on around him.
He was a two-time all-academic Big Ten selection in college and was also on the Dean’s List.
Belton was a two-time high school captain and was on the Player Council and Leadership Group at Iowa despite being an underclassman. He also won the Coach’s Appreciation Award in college.
On-field discipline hasn’t been a concern. His only personal foul was for tripping.
Belton had a setback at the start of his career when he suffered a broken collarbone in training camp but he was able to return early in the season and ultimately only missed two games.
Despite a back injury early in the 2024 season and a neck injury in the middle of last season, Belton didn’t miss any time since then.
As noted, Belton has played mostly as a strong safety at the NFL level and this seems to be where he is at his most comfortable. This makes sense for him given the other personnel the Jets have.
Davis reunites with his former Hawkeyes teammate Jack Heflin and his former Giants teammate Cade York on the Jets. He also played with Heflin on the Giants.
Belton is a player who has progressed nicely over the course of his career and although he has never been considered a starter-level player, he’s been valuable in the past when called upon by the Giants.
His contract reflects that kind of rotational role but he will no doubt relish the role to compete for time with the Jets.
Minkah Fitzpatrick will be expected to start at one of the two safety spots this year, although there has been some suggestion that he could line up in the slot with two other safeties in the game in some packages so there is plenty of room for Belton to compete for Andre Cisco and Malachi Moore for a bigger role on defense.
For the price they paid, the Jets are getting a solid special teamer who will bolster their defensive depth in a secondary that already looks considerably stronger than it was at the end of last year. There may be some upside here too, though.