NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Quinton Coples of North Carolina holds up a jersey as he stands on stage after he was selected #16 overall by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 26, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Manish Mehta has an interesting quote from Rex Ryan on Quinton Coples' role.
Rex on Coples: "He's going to have his hand in the dirt." Won't be a stand-up LB.#nyj
Perhaps this indicates the Jets are going to go to more 4-3 fronts. Coples definitely has the physical ability to play end in a 3-4 front. He is tall enough at 6'5"-6'6", big enough at around 280 pounds, and has a big wingspan to disengage from blocks. It would feel like a bit of a waste to simply use him as a defensive end in a 3-4 base defense, a spot where it is difficult to make a huge impact because you are constantly facing double teams. The Jets also have a ton of big linemen, including the two they took early last year and Sione Pouha, who they just extended.
I would guess Coples is going to primarily play one position, but I still look for the Jets to move him around at times to try and create mismatches and take advantage of his athleticism.


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