Mel Kiper: Leonard Williams 2nd Best Rookie This Year

There are three things I look out for in relation to the draft. Big Boards, Mock Drafts and Rookie Rankings. It's all 100% opinion based of course, and a lot of the work is based on speculation. Mel Kiper loved the Jets pick of Leonard Williams at the time, and with his rookie season nearing an end, that opinion hasn't changed.

Kiper released his top 25 rookies from the 2015 draft class. He bases his opinion on the entire body of work over the course of the season. He puts emphasis on snap counts, positional value and whether the player would be a starter on most teams or a good team.

He ranks Leonard Williams as the 2nd best rookie in the class so far, only trailing Buffalo Bills CB Ronald Darby.

2. Leonard Williams, DE New York Jets

Don't look at his sack total and assume Williams hasn't been a big cause for the disruption the Jets have created. His ability to work inside has freed up Muhammad Wilkerson and others, and his work against the run remains strong.

Williams has been outstanding against the run and his pass-rush has continued to come on as the season has progressed. Although he's only credited with 2.5 sacks on the season and 47 tackles, he has had back-to-back games with a sack. I don't think it's a coincidence that with Williams on board, Muhammad Wilkerson is enjoying the most productive season of his career. Although I'm sure him being in a contract year doesn't hurt.

Leonard does a lot of the dirty work inside, plugging the lanes and occupying blockers to allow linebackers a clean shot at the ball carrier. The Jets have one of the best defenses in the league and the best rushing defense in the entire NFL. The selection of Williams is looking better and better.