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Over the course of the year, I have put out a weekly piece ranking my top ten performers on the Jets roster throughout the 2017 season (here is the Week 9 edition). Obviously, this is a tough task to nail down. Two people can gather much different opinions from watching the same thing unfold. I’m only one of millions who watch the Jets. The more opinions that are meshed together, the more accurate of a grasp we can get on which players have stood out the most, in ways good and bad.
So, with the Jets just over halfway through their 2017 season, let’s take stock of how the community is stacking up the roster’s performance this season. Below, go ahead and score each player’s contribution to the Jets’ this year from 1 to 10. When I’ve ranked the roster, I try to rank the players by their greatest net impact over the course of the entire year. Simply, who has helped the Jets the most? In your score, try not to take expectations into account. Don’t knock a player’s score because you expected more or run it up because you expected less. Try to assign one number that best quantifies the player’s impact on the Jets this year.
Click here to submit your player ratings and view the average scores of each. Later in the week, I’ll put out a complete list summarizing the results.
For now, here is my top eleven (expanding to on-field team size) after the win against Buffalo!
11. Muhammad Wilkerson, DL (Debut)
Mo’s silence was deafening for much of the first six games of the year, but over the last three he has been the player that earned the lucrative contract he was given. The entire front seven has come alive with Mo’s reawakening. Question is, is it too late for Wilkerson to avoid being cut this offseason?
10. Darron Lee, ILB (Debut)
Lee was popping off the screen for all the wrong reasons early in the year, but this is now at least 4 games in a row he has played some really good football. Lee is taking full advantage of his blitz opportunities, solving his gap-finding issues to become a strong run stuffer, and shoring up his coverage a bit. Great sign for Mike Maccagnan as his first round pick starts to break out.
9. Kony Ealy, Edge (Last week: 5th)
Ealy falls, but it has less to do with him and more to do with the improved play of those above him. He’s been very consistent in his role, bringing pressure even when others are not and proving a strong force in the run game.
8. Leonard Williams, DL (Last week: 7th)
Williams was very strong in this game and has seen a spike in production directly coinciding with Muhammad Wilkerson’s revival. Leo has seen a lot of double teams this year, but when given consistent 1-on-1 opportunities, he’s going to win his matchup on a very respectable portion of his snaps.
7. Jamal Adams, S (Last week: 6th)
Adams made up for a blunder in coverage against Nick O’Leary by taking the ball away with an outstanding heads-up hustle play. He also added a fumble recovery and multiple strong stops in the run game. Adams still needs some work in coverage, but he is making up for it with his playmaking elsewhere.
6. Josh McCown, QB (Last appearance: Week 4, 5th)
I give up. Here’s your spot on the list, Josh. I’m not the biggest McCown fan, far from it actually, but I need to give him some credit. While his numbers are definitely a bit inflated, you don’t put up production that consistent without doing something right. McCown still takes some bad sacks and mismanages at times, while those awfully timed turnovers are still on his resume. However, his playmaking has been way, way past what anybody expected. He hits the deep ball down the sidelines with stunning ease, and has made play after play with his legs in clutch situations. I don’t think the Jets win four games with Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg.
5. Demario Davis, ILB (Last week: 9th)
Davis was putrid over the first two games of the year and a major reason why the defense struggled. Since then, he has turned it around, and he continues to prove his resurgence more and more legit each week. He is consistently disciplined and strong against the run, while providing effective blitz ability both up the middle and in occasional opportunities on the edge.
4. Bilal Powell, RB (Last week: 3rd)
Powell remains the team leader in scrimmage yards, total first downs, and yards per rush. He’s been a consistent spark for the offense, and like has throughout his entire Jets career, continues to demand more touches.
3. Robby Anderson, WR (Last week: 3rd)
In earlier editions of the rankings, I called out Anderson for not providing much outside of the deep ball. Man, has he silenced me. Robby Anderson is becoming a complete weapon. He’s developed a strong connection with Josh McCown and is toasting corners deep on the outside at a scary rate. His underneath game has improved too, as defenses look to take away his speed over the top.
2. Morris Claiborne, CB (Last week: 2nd)
It’s masked by the blowout score, but the Jets missed Claiborne a bit in this game. The Jets dared Buffalo to throw the ball outside, and while Darryl Roberts and Juston Burris had their moments, they made some mistakes against a lackluster receiving group.
1. Marcus Maye, S (Last week: 1st)
Maye did a nice job once again, contributing some strong run stops and handling the deep half of the field well. On a night where the Jets made a ton of splash plays defensively, Maye didn’t quite post the big numbers, but that sums up the nature of his role. He’s doing his best when you don’t really notice him.
Dropped off list: TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (was 10th), WR Jermaine Kearse (was 8th)
Knocking on the door: TE Eric Tomlinson
Don’t forget to submit your ratings and contribute to the Gang Green Nation community roster rankings!