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Remember when the New York Jets’ defense was so good that it didn’t matter that Mark Sanchez was the quarterback? The team rode the defense to the AFC Championship Game in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. That caliber of play is possible again.
Selecting Dante Fowler Jr. with No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft will give a talented defensive roster a stronger possibility of becoming elite. The Jets need an edge rusher, and Fowler is considered by many to be the best pass-rushing prospect in the draft.
The 6-foot-3, 261-pound beast clocked a very impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.60 seconds at the NFL Combine. While he may need a little more polishing with some of his skills, his ceiling is highest of all the edge rushers in the draft.
Though prospects like Vic Beasley and Bud Dupree may have ever so slightly outperformed him at the NFL Combine, that doesn’t tell the entire story. Fowler offers a much more well-rounded package than the other combine stars.
The Florida Gators used to line Fowler up all over the place during his college career. On one play he could line up to rush the edge at defensive end. The next play he might be rushing from the other end. Then on the next play he could be dropping his 261-pound body into coverage. That’s just the type of special athlete he is.
Again, Fowler may need to fine tune some of skills a bit, but he offers a very diverse package with enormous upside. If the Jets can grab Fowler and make him realize his potential sooner rather than later, the defense could be flat-out dominant in 2015.
Aaron Charles is an NFL writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @aaroncharleskc or add him to your network on Google
