Muhammad Wilkerson to Start at Defensive End

by John B on Sep 10, 2011 12:11 PM EDT

Cimini says Muhammad Wilkerson will start at defensive end tomorrow night.

Wilkerson worked with the first-team defense on Friday, and will start at defensive end on Sunday night against Dallas.

I cannot help but wonder whether the team is just trying to justify the first round pick it used in April on Wilkerson because I thought Ropati Pitoitua looked a lot better in preseason. Playing the defensive in a base 3-4 is a difficult task for a rookie. It frequently takes years for players to learn consistent technique, particularly guys who play at small schools who can dominate weak competition while still getting away with flaws in their fundamentals. I am not sure Wilkerson is ready for a big role. I fear this might be the Kyle Wilson mistake of asking a rookie to master a really difficult position too soon all over again.

Wilkerson does seem like a better pass rusher than Ropati so perhaps the team is looking to compensate for the losses of Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce, the Jets' two best pass rushing defensive linemen from last year and hope Sione Pouha, Mike Devito, and the linebackers can help carry the rookie a bit on running downs.

We are sure to see plenty of Ropati who figures to be part of a rotation.

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Eh, they're supposedly rotating anyway.

So who starts means very little, whereas who’s on the field in the crunch in the 4th will be much more telling.

Its good for the kid to get a confidence boost against a weaker o-line, though.

by Crackback on Sep 10, 2011 12:28 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I agree with this.

Its giving him a shot to be the starter opening day, but with a rotating line I say we’ll see more ropati on the run.

And the home of the .... JETS!!!
Now lets get a G-D snack!!!
"You might not like that. You might be very cynical about that. Well, f**k it, I don't care what you think."-Roy McDonald

by Noble_Lance on Sep 10, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I want to know something...maybe someone has an answer

we cut marty gilliard for isiah trufant which baffles me already…..but from what i read we might not suit up kenrick ellis (for whatever reason) why do we need a 10th DB instead of bringing up MTV so we don’t leave Sione as the lone NT.

Doesn’t make much sense to me.

J✈E✈T✈S✈ JETS! ✈JETS! ✈JETS!

by SLAUGHTERHOUSE on Sep 10, 2011 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry for the lack of punctuation, I wanted to get it out before i lost my train of thought.

J✈E✈T✈S✈ JETS! ✈JETS! ✈JETS!

by SLAUGHTERHOUSE on Sep 10, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Dixon can play NT. But, yeah I would like to have MTV or Ellis suit up for the game. Rex loves DB’s and probably knows Dallas won’t be running much. Romo will probably be slinging it all over the field with Austin, Dez, Witten, and Felix out of the backfield. I doubt Dallas attempts to run against our 3rd ranked rush defense last year with Felix and Tashard Choice.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!!!!!!!!!

by TheSanchize6 on Sep 10, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

tashard choice is at the top of a long list

Of great names in the NFL.

by Gideon Jay on Sep 10, 2011 1:11 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Kenrick will dress, I think, but just might not get reps.

Besides, Devito can play some NT. And I’d like to see him get more reps there actually. He’s kinda awesome at it.

I think JB did a piece on Devito playing some nose not too long ago.

by Crackback on Sep 10, 2011 1:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

i hope Kenric gets a few snaps in this game, i think hes gonna be a force for us this season

"The message to the rest of the league is, hey, the Jets are coming, and we're going to give you everything we got. And I think that's going to be more than you can handle"

by AFCxxBEAST on Sep 10, 2011 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions

the kyle wilson comparison just made me cringe.

This is exactly the same situation.

by Gideon Jay on Sep 10, 2011 1:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

It's really not at all...

the closest to the same situation is if we had him playing DE all pre-season then said he’s going to be the starting NT, but even that would have been an easier task than what Wilson was asked to do last season. Wilson was playing outside all preseason with Revis out, and then was moved in to a position he had very little experience at (nickel) for the start of the season.

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by Judgegavel on Sep 10, 2011 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree that its not the same. But I think a better analogy would be if we started Wilk at DE, then switched him to OLB, and then switched him back to DE. Where technique shifts dramatically from position to position.

by Crackback on Sep 10, 2011 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Yea that would be better.

My point really being, is it wasn’t they threw Wilson to the wolves too early as a rook, it was that they really didn’t give him enough reps to prepare him for the position he wound up playing. Comparing the two situations just isn’t the same.

founding member of PACOS (People Against the Constant Overuse of Sarcastic font)
GGN-Moderator

by Judgegavel on Sep 10, 2011 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions

nothing would make me happier and build Mo’s confidence more than an early sack…kinda like last year on the first play from scrimmage Flacco got sandwiched and fumbled :)

"The message to the rest of the league is, hey, the Jets are coming, and we're going to give you everything we got. And I think that's going to be more than you can handle"

by AFCxxBEAST on Sep 10, 2011 1:39 PM EDT reply actions