NFL: Ranking the Top 5 Defenses on paper right now
By Robby Sabo
2. New York Jets
Speaking of phenomenal defensive lines, check out what’s happening in Florham Park, New Jersey right now.
Mo Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison, and rookie stud Leonard Williams make up perhaps the most physical and dominating line in all the land.
Out with the old guard and in with the new.
In the past, the New York Jets would have botched the Williams pick. Even though the top talent in the NFL Draft shockingly fell to the No. 6 spot, the old Jets would’ve found a way to foul it up. They would have taken a guy who fit their positional needs and then rationalized it in a goofy way the day after.
How could you think otherwise? This is the same franchise who drafted Kyle Brady over Warren Sapp, Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino, and once hired Rich Kotite.
The new Jets, however, realize when a gift from the football gods were handed to them, and Jets fans are singing the praises of Mike Maccagnan right now after the selection of Williams.
With Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromarite, Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist all coming in to make up a brand new secondary, head coach Todd Bowles (who blitzed more than any other coordinator a year ago), will have plenty of back-end talent to do the same in 2015.
The beauty part is Bowles doesn’t need to blitz with this personnel grouping. This Jets team is talented enough to get pressure on the quarterback with a conventional rush, unlike his depleted Arizona Cardinals last year.
The Jets might only be a stud edge rusher away from taking the top defensive spot in the NFL.
What a difference a year makes.
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