Going into Thursday night’s NFL draft , the Jets knew they had some major holes to fill on offense and defense in order to compete again.
So, they drafted a bunch of guys to help them out.
The new-look Jets will include a pair of new starters with speed, something they lacked last season. Not long after the Jets wrapped up the draft, Rex Ryan proclaimed that first-round defensive end Quinton Coples and second-round wide receiver Stephen Hill will crack his starting lineup.
“You had a vision for those players,” Ryan said on Saturday. “That’s why you took them. . . . There’s so many different roles. . . . There’s so many things they can start on — there’s sub team, there’s this team. . . . They’re going to play significantly. Is it 100% all 16 games? It really depends.”
Coples, the 6’6,” 284-pound 16th overall pick out of North Carolina is arguably the fastest defensive lineman in the draft, and the Jets took him over other pass-rushers such as Melvin Ingram out of South Carolina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjVXEpBXvI0The Jets were high on Ingram, but took Coples due to his size and speed that Ingram does not possess. Coples was initially slated as a top-10 pick after his junior year, but his stock dropped due to an inconsistent senior season that was plagued by a scandal-filled football program at North Carolina.
“They got great value,” Coples said, to silence his doubters. “I always play with a chip on my shoulder. There’s always room to get better, there’s always room to improve, and that’s how I take it. That’s how I live life.”
Coples’ job will be to get to the quarterback and stuff the run.
He consistently does an excellent job of taking on offensive line run blocks with good base and aggressive hand use. His technique, combined with his natural strength, allows him to jolt run blockers and drive them back to disrupt running plays in the backfield.
He flashes quick hand use to shed and defeat run blocks. This enables him to make tackles on runs directly at him. He also shows solid ability to take on double-team run blocks. Then with his strength, he is able to split double-teams to make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. When he performs at a high level, he has the excellent speed to chase down ballcarriers in pursuit.
This rookie has a fresh start, and he is “willing to exceed” expectations. “(Offenses) should be worried about me and Muhammad, big (Sione Pouha) in the middle, and everybody else that’s behind us,” Coples said. “I think we can be the No. 1 defense.”
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