FanPost

The Five Jets Who Could Elevate This Team to Serious Contenders: #4

After an 8-8 season last year (many would try to argue talent-wise we weren't an 8 win team), the Jets went out and made a few signings to help improve the roster. With higher expectations and a wide-open conference, many experts are claiming that the Jets are 1 to 3 players away from being serious threats in the conference. In a league where players rise out of nowhere at a consistent pace each season, the Jets have hope that some of their younger guys can take the next step. With every player being a difference maker, here's the number 4 Jet who could make the greatest impact on our team next year:

Quinton Coples

Now if there was ever a time when you virtually can sense a play on the verge of breaking out, it's right now with Quinton Coples. Coples' transition to the NFL since being drafting has been eventful to say the least. After the Jets drafted him, most scouts and analysts imagined Coples would be a starter as a 6 or 7 technique and the Jets would transition to a 4-3 scheme. Well Rex had different plans. Despite numerous scouts doubting Coples skills as a 5-tech, the Jets placed him along the line opposite of Wilkerson, rotating him a lot with Mike Devito. As the season went on, Coples continued to impress. In fact, he ranked in the top 10 of all 3-4 defensive lineman in pass rush productivity in his rookie season. Many Jets fans (me included) thought Coples would have a future at this position, until the Jets took Sheldon Richardson a year later to replace him.

As a result, Coples had to make another transition. Instead of the Jets switching to the 4-3 full time, they remained in the 3-4 defense and moved Coples to OLB. Once again, many analysts and scouts doubted if Coples had the ability to play this position. They didn't know if Coples was quick enough or light enough on his feet to be a productive player as an OLB. It got even more difficult for Coples when he missed the majority of the pre-season and the first few games of the regular season with leg injury. Despite this, Coples came back, fought his way through, and improved over the course of each game.

This year, there are no excuses for Coples. He's got a full year at the position, and he will get some looks as a DE in our 4-3 packages. The time is now for Coples to step up and take this defense to the next level. The Jets have one of the best front sevens in all of football, but there is plenty of room to improve in terms of getting to the Quarterback. If the Jets could improve on their sack total from a year ago, it could give this defense a whole other dimension.

Say what you want about the "sack" becoming an overrated stat, there's still a direct correlation to sacking the opposing quarterback and winning football games. In fact, eight of the top thirteen teams last year in sacks ended up becoming playoff teams. Denver and Seattle, the two Super Bowl teams, both finished in the top thirteen respectively. The Arizona Cardinals, who won ten games, also finished in the top thirteen.

It is also no surprise that getting sacks on the quarterback also helps your team overall in pass defense. Five of the top six pass defenses (in terms of yards against), finished in the top 10 in sacks. Getting consistent pressure on the quarterback, always covers up weaknesses in the secondary.

So as you can see, the potential emergence of Quinton Coples could do wonders for the Jets defense and team this upcoming year. If Coples could possibly become an 8+ sack guy per year, it gives the Jets another really strong player in their front seven. Add in the fact that Coples is so versatile and will be on the field in both 3-4 and 4-3 packages, it makes it even more important that Coples breaks-out.

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