Kenrick Ellis: Secret Superstar?

The folks at PFF are doing their annual profile of a "secret superstar" for each NFL team. Their choice for the Jets is backup nose tackle Kenrick Ellis.

He ended up making 17 run stops on 114 run snaps on the season, which gave him a Run Stop Percentage of 14.9%. Over the last six years, John Henderson in 2010 was the only defensive or nose tackle with at least 100 snaps against the run and a better Run Stop Percentage. He was also 1.7% better than the second-best defensive tackle in Run Stop Percentage; teammate Damon Harrison. While his strength was in stopping the run, he also had seven hurries on 85 pass rushes.

Though stopping the run is his strength, he did record seven pressures on 90 pass rushes which is decent for a nose tackle. They even tested him out at fullback late in their Week 17 game on a play that consisted of three defensive linemen in the backfield.

Ellis has developed into a high end backup for the Jets. PFF has given him love for the past year.

I just wouldn't go overboard. He isn't in the same class as a Wilkerson, Richardson, or even Harrison. It is a lot easier to play well as an interior defensive lineman with limited snaps where you can go all out and don't have to take a pounding all day long. That isn't to take away from Ellis. He performs his job with the Jets very well.