By Dom C.
The 2021 Jets defense could best be described as a dumpster fire. The pink elephant in the room for such a suspect unit was the linebacker corps for sure. Oh, gone are the days of Marvin Jones and David Harris. What I would give to plug in talent like that from the NFL draft into our linebacker room right now.
Now, to be fair – you cannot hang all the issues solely on the backs of the linebackers. There was almost no rush off the edge and with a defense that barely blitzed, quarterbacks had all the time in the world to pick apart the defense. The defensive line looked like Swiss cheese and couldn’t stop the run to save their life (or their jobs).
There was a lot of pressure on the linebackers – most of whom were extremely young, raw and inexperienced and one guy asked to carry the load who hadn’t played a meaningful down in 2 years. Recipe for disaster, to put it kindly.
Looking at what we had the last season and what is left, we did see the rebirth of CJ Mosely from his almost 2-year injury hiatus. Frankly, you could not have asked him to do much more than he did for the Jets last season as he logged over 160 tackles and 2 sacks. If a play was happening on the field, you could bet Mosely was involved.
The lack of overall defensive talent hindered him, or else we may have seen even better counting stats from him – which is kind of hard to believe. Yes, he’s getting paid way too much for a MLB, but 2022 will be very telling.
After this coming season, we can be free of Mosely, who will be 31 years old after next season with very little cap ramifications. Don’t be surprised if we see a dip in production or a jump in play from one of the kids.
One of the young newcomers that played a lot of meaningful snaps was second year player Quincy Williams, whom we snagged off of waivers from Jacksonville. Quincy flew up and down the field and had some real memorable and flashy hits. He was also exposed as below average in pass coverage, and without fixing those faults, will be nothing more than a 2-down thumper with little to no contribution in passing situations.
Blake Cashman was around, but surprise – he was hurt. Cashman was shipped off somehow for a 2023 draft pick – yes, in JD we trust.
Two late draft picks were spent on college safeties brought in with hopes of transforming them into the WILL linebackers that fit the Salah scheme – Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasilrdeen. Both players are raw and dealt with injuries in their rookie season. The jury is still out on both players and it’s hard to go into another year depending on a big year 2 leap.
Del’Shawn Phillips was also there, but he’s just a guy – nothing really to write home about. It’s clear that as constituted, the LB room is less than stellar.
Help is needed and this draft class has a lot to offer. We need speed and we need dawgs.
As always, it will be impossible to touch on all the draft prospects. So, the curveball with this article is that we will cover only one high-end prospect while touching on two mid-round targets and one diamond in the rough late round player that could come in and make some waves.
There are names here that you are familiar with and some names you may not be familiar with. Hell, there are going to be some names not touched on at all that you will see drafted relatively early. The article is meant solely to be an informative tool that will hopefully entice you to research some of the players yourself and form your own opinions. That’s what we do here.
Let’s talk about some of the NFL draft’s prospective LB’s that would look good in green.
Christian Harris
You always hear talk about the athletic freaks in the respective draft class as NFL teams and fans alike prepare for the next influx of talent the NFL draft offers. This year, those conversations would be incomplete if they did not include Christian Harris.
This guy is just off the chains, athletically. He stands 6’1’’ and around 225 pounds with 4.4 speed and a ridiculous 11’ broad jump, Harris was a 3-year starter at Alabama and was named to the all-SEC Freshman team in 2019.
This past year saw him thrive while playing in space and really helped define him as the consummate “sideline-to-sideline” linebacker. His lateral mobility and his loose hips and flexibility show off the athlete he is on the football field.
Has very good pass coverage skills, showing the ability to run with TE’s who push through vertically down the seam and handle the RB’s on outs and wheels without issue. Harris has spent time at WILL, MIKE, and slot defender, so his game displays versatility and he has an excellent understanding of the game and schemes within the defense.
If there is anything that needs to improve, it would most likely be his inconsistencies with tackling – a part of his game which has shown regression since his freshman season. Although a decent run defender who takes proper angles and uses his quickness to his advantage, there are far too many times where he comes up short and lands on the grass without the ball carrier near him.
Harris is also a player that leaves his feet too early instead of closing the distance between him and the runner. Harris needs to become more consistent here to reach his full potential in the NFL.
His pass-rush skills should intrigue teams to put him in a role where he can use his speed to his advantage. Harris provides a skillset that transitions well to the next level with his skills in coverage and rushing the passer really being his bread and butter.
Harris should find a home in a 4-3 scheme as a WILL linebacker. There will also be some scenarios where he plays inside linebacker, thanks to his coverage skills.
Harris will likely find a new home on day two of the NFL Draft in April, and should be an impact player immediately, who still has room to grow.
In talking about NLF player comps – think Buffalo LB Matt Milano (but even faster). If the Jets were to pass on the bigger name LB’s in round one of the NFL draft, Harris could be a fabulous selection in the second that I think could step in and produce at a high level quickly.
Quay Walker
After seeing some of his game film this past year at Georgia, I really grew to like Quay Walker as a prospect. As I watched him test out very smoothly in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine, I’ve officially drank the Kool Aid and hang my hat on him as one of my favorite prospects at the position in the draft.
You have to be a special kind of player to make a name on the Georgia Bulldogs defense – which could see 7 players come off the board in the first four rounds (insane).
Walker fits the bill – uber athletic with great range, solid tackler, and aggressive mindset. All traits you love to see, especially in a LB. Walker spent the past two seasons as a sort of steadying force for the Georgia defense, particularly in pass coverage.
In ’21, he was utilized mainly as a coverage backer, where he developed a great feel and understanding of zone coverage – how to sink into the correct areas and re-route receivers and pass them off to other zone defenders without being taken out of position.
He has the height/weight/athleticism to disrupt both the passer and the pass catcher and sticks tight on the trail hip of tight ends or RB’s coming out of the backfield while in man coverage. Quay stand 6’4’’ and weighs 245 pounds, so by numbers he checks the boxes, but he probably players a little lighter – you can see that in game film – he looks lean. An NFL strength coach is going to pack some more muscle on him.
Walker boasts 4.5 speed and had over a 10’’ long jump shows his athleticism off, which allows him to flow and chase from the backside very well. He also plays with a constant motor that runs hot all the time, which aids in his effectiveness playing the run and as a blitzer.
He had 17 pressures last season and is as sure of a tackler as we’ll see from the position – only a 4% missed tackle rate (per PFF) throughout his time at Georgia.
At the next level, he will need to play a little more instinctual – he tends to at times process information a step slow – causing him to get caught flat-footed and sealed off from the running lane.
Playing as aggressively as he does, he can also get caught biting on the play action fakes or with misdirection plays. Not picture perfect for sure, but all things that will be able to get coached up as he sees more reps.
Ideally, he’s a 4-3 WILL who is allowed to run, chase, and make plays in the open field. His coverage abilities will allow him to develop into a 3-down linebacker although he may be limited to nickel/dime sets to start his career. A big-bodied guy who understands zone coverage and can get at you in the run game and in pressuring the QB, sign me up.
He would be perfect in the LB rotation year one with the likes of Sherwood and Quincy Williams before taking more of a F/T role in ’23 and years to follow. I fully expect to see Quay Walker’s name come off the board early on day two of the NFL draft and with the versatility he offers, would be a home run with one of the Jets second round picks.
Troy Anderson
Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen is a polarizing prospect with, I think high upside at the next level.
Andersen possesses a prototypical blend of size and athleticism for a modern NFL linebacker. Andersen’s 6’3’’ 235-pound frame, long arms, and fluid athleticism allow him to play a variety of positions at the second level of a defense.
He has aligned at both strong and weak outside linebacker positions, MLB, and occasionally as a slot defender – all this while only playing 2 years on the defensive side of the ball.
Yes, he started his career as both a running back and a quarterback on the Montana State football team. Wild stuff.
He is an easy and fluid athlete and has that twitchiness you love to see in football players as well as very good long speed (got to mention he ran 4.42 at the combine). Andersen has enough agility to stay with tight ends and receivers in space paired with the speed to be effective in pursuit.
Andersen is best in zone coverage and does a good job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and playing in a very disciplined manner. That discipline and patience doesn’t often allow him to be fooled by play-action or misdirection. Once he is committed to a course of action, he shows a quick trigger and an explosive burst toward the ball.
He does a good job of using his length to his advantage, in both pass and run instances. He is also excellent when scraping laterally across the line of scrimmage.
Andersen’s greatest weakness, as one would guess is his inexperience. He only has two years’ worth of experience at the linebacker position, so he is obviously still learning and is still raw.
At times, Andersen can get swallowed up by offensive linemen – he needs to improve his ability to stack and shed blockers.
He was frequently used on blitzes for Montana State, and his athletic profile suggests upside in that area. However, he needs significant work on his pass rush technique and right now just tries to run past blockers – something he was able to do against the level of competition he faced. That won’t get him very far at the next level.
Right now, he is an athlete who lines up at the linebacker position. He’ll need time, but he has all the raw materials and metal fortitude necessary to develop into a 3-down LB at the next level.
Look for Troy Anderson to hear his name called at some point in round three or early round four of the NFL draft. The athleticism alone is worth taking a 4th round flyer and developing him – especially with Salah and Ulbrich both having cut their teeth in coaching LB’s.
Jeremiah Gemmel
My late round gem is a guy that comes somewhat out of obscurity but who I found really fun to watch – UNC linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel. Gemmel, a 3-year starter for the Tar Heels and Senior Bowl invite stands 6’1’’ and weighs 225 pounds. He produced 3 consecutive 80+ tackle seasons in the ACC while barely leaving the field and roaming the WILL, MIKE and SAM positions over that time.
His competitive fire and sense of urgency is evident in every snap he is on the field – a trait that can’t be overlooked in a young player. Gemmel is always around the ball and is a heady football player with good play recognition, understanding and quick processing. He did a really good job when asked to just read, react and finish plays (see game vs. Miami in 2021).
Another prospect with a great feel for zone coverage – knowing and understanding how to get the proper depth and route anticipation. He’s adequate in man coverage, although with only 4.7 speed, definitely struggled as routes got more vertical on him.
Although he possesses only middling long speed, he’s a firecracker when it comes to run support and brings the heat as an above average tackler who hits and wraps with good form. Where he lacks top-level skills on film is his ability to shed blocks. Gemmel gets swallowed up a little too much when taking on blocks and can get caught up in the muck when scraping to the outside.
There is a real need to develop a hand-fighting skill set – that will help him disengage and make plays off of contact. A lean 225 pounds, Gemmel will need to be covered up with a gap-control scheme DL to really be effective in the NFL and really get to play more of a read and pursuit style of defense play.
At 23 years old, his overall game is still a work in process, so it may take a couple of years before he makes his way into a high percentage of defensive snaps. I see him as a situational/rotational defender best suited at WILL who can be an absolute play maker on special teams – they type of depth that the Jets need.
He is an NFL draft day three player, but one who plays with such vigor, I could see him working hard and carving out a nice little NFL career for himself.
The jury is still out on if the linebacker position will be a position of focus come April’s NFL draft. Unless we see a trade down, I’d bet against seeing one taken by the Jets in round one. The position holds a lot of depth and some of the guys we talked about really have some traits that have proven well in the Robert Salah scheme.
With the veteran leadership already on the team and the plethora of young talent that is still learning, the base has been planted. Now is the time to grow on that onward and upward.
Oh, how dark it was before the dawn…
Let’s go Jets…