Darron Lee Should Fit In Nicely With New York Jets' Defense

The New York Jets entered the 2016 NFL Draft with some glaring needs but perhaps none more than that at linebacker. Demario Davis left in free agency and David Harris is getting up there in age. The Jets needed to add youth and athleticism, and they got that in Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee.

Lee isn’t the perfect fit in a 3-4 defense, but he has the talent to make it work. He is excellent against the run and is quick to diagnose it. He is also very good in coverage and can stick with almost every tight end and some wide receivers in coverage. He had an outstanding combine, running a 4.52 40-yard dash, so there is sideline to sideline speed in both run and pass defense.

One weakness, if you can call it that, is Lee’s work as a pass rusher. He has the speed to be a good one, but his size, or lack thereof, could be an issue. He stands just a shade under 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 232 pounds. He will need to bulk up a little, but it shouldn’t be too much of an issue given his speed.

The Jets got themselves a guy who will fly all over the field and should start at weakside linebacker. He should get better as the year goes on and could be a leader on this defense in time. The Jets needed to inject some youth, talent and athleticism at linebacker and did just that with Lee. He might not blow anybody away, but Lee will get the job done and fly all over the field to make plays which should endear him to Jets fans.