Rex Ryan Impressed with Quinton Coples and Demario Davis in First Minicamp for New York Jets Rookies
The New York Jets opened their rookie minicamp on Friday and head coach Rex Ryan was impressed with two of his draft picks. North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, the New York Jets first-round draft pick and third-round pick, Arkansas State linebacker Demario Davis both impressed their new head coach in different ways in their first practice.
Ryan had high praise for his third-round pick and compared him to linebacker Ray Lewis, whom Ryan coached for ten years with the Baltimore Ravens. Davis’ leadership skills are what impressed Ryan the most. That is some pretty high praise after just one practice but Ryan loved what he saw from Davis. Comparing anyone to Ray Lewis, who is arguably the best linebacker of his generation, will raise some eyebrows, especially for what for many was an under the radar pick. However, if anyone can dish out that kind of praise and maintain his credibility it is Ryan. Ryan and Lewis were together for ten years and won a Super Bowl after the 2000 season.
Meanwhile, Coples impressed his new coach with his play on the field. Coples lined up at defensive end and defensive tackle and consistently broke through the line. Granted, the Jets rookies were only playing in helmets and were without pads so contact was limited. However, Coples impressed his new coaches with his technique and versatility. When asked about Coples’ position on the defense, Ryan was quick to admit that Coples could see time at defensive end, defensive tackle, and outside linebacker. Coples also raved about how quickly he has grasped the defense after his first practice, something Rex Ryan was pleased to hear and he will expect to challenge Coples more in the coming days. Coples will be asked to bring pressure on the quarterback wherever he lines up. Last year the Jets defense failed to bring consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Coples should help change that and Jets coaches and fans certainly hope he does.
All of this praise is meaningless. This is the first time Jets coaches have seen these kids in person and the amount of plays they were able to run were limited to the very basics of the Jets complex defense. However, it is a good start for the Jets newest additions. In the coming weeks they will be challenged like they have never been challenged before on a football field. All the praise in the world during a rookie minicamp will mean nothing if the kids don’t grasp the concepts of the defense and make an impact on the field. Jets fans have heard the hype before and only time will tell if the hype is real or merely a manifestation of dreams based on one rookie minicamp.
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[...] problem areas was addressed by the Jets thus far during this off-season, with the selection of Quinton Coples with the 16th overall selection in the 2012 NFL [...]
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[...] Jets decided to pass on a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers and instead selected defensive end Quinton Coples with the 16th overall pick, they were taking a risk. Coples didn’t play like a first round [...]
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