2. Outside Linebacker

Von Miller showed the rest of the AFC East yesterday what an elite outside pass rusher can do to the Patriots offense–stop Tom Brady. Obviously Brady’s offensive line was beat up going into that game, so most of the blame can and should be placed there. But even Patriots fans will admit that number 12 was not his usual self yesterday and it was due in large part to the play of Von Miller.

The only way the New York Jets are ever going to beat out New England or any of the AFC’s top teams for that matter, is if they add a speedy, versatile outside linebacker like Von Miller who’s capable of rushing on the outside, dropping into coverage, or sealing the edge in the run game. Lorenzo Mauldin IV certainly has the prototypical speed and physical build to play this role but he’s still raw and was only used as a situational pass rusher in 2015. Aside from Mauldin, Calvin Pace‘s contract is up and his career is just about at its end, while DeMario Davis had a brutal 2015 campaign and will most likely be playing elsewhere in 2016.

There’s depth at the inside linebacker positions with veterans Erin Henderson and Jamari Lattimore rotating in with David Harris, but this team needs another option than Mauldin on the outside.