4th Greatest Weakness: Edge Rushing
Heading into the 2016 NFL Draft the top defensive need on everybody’s board for the New York Jets was an edge rusher.
Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams get the job done from an interior point of view. There’s no doubt about that. But when it comes to pure speed from an edge perspective, the hole was massive.
Now that the draft is over, this need is still present.
Or is it?
Lorenzo Mauldin is the guy who’ll be leaned upon in 2016. He has all the tools. Although he’s not a classic speed guy – 4.85 40-yard – he does a solid job in setting up tackles in those pin your ears back situations when getting to the QB is a must.
He, rookie Jordan Jenkins, and veteran Trevor Reilly are the candidates. At least one of these guys needs to step up to play opposite Big Mo on passing downs.
