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New York Jets: The NFL’s No. 1 Defense In 2015?

By Robby Sabo

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With a flurry of activity by new boss Mike Maccagnan, is it possible the New York Jets can field the top defensive unit in the NFL this upcoming season?

It was a tale of two stories for the New York Jets defense during the Rex Ryan Era.

In the beginning, Ryan was equipped with a studly secondary. Guys like Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie (arriving in 2010) and Jim Leonhard allowed Ryan to come up with extravagant blitzes to manufacture pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

How do you think “Revis Island” got started?

Ryan would literally create defensive schemes nobody else in the league had the luxury of pulling off because of Revis’ ability to take away so much of the field one on one. The Jets finished number-one in the league in pass defense in 2009 (153.7 yards yielded per game), while they finished eighth in the league against the run with 98.6 yards against.

Then, as sure as Revis was a goner from New York, the Jets started to build up front.

Muhammad Wilkerson was drafted in 2011, and Sheldon Richardson in 2013. By the time Wilkerson came into his own and Richardson was on the scene, the once-mighty secondary the Jets fielded slowly faded.

Ryan was left with guys like Antonio Allen and first-round bust Kyle Wilson masquerading as defensive back starters while the big heavies up front could finally start generating pressure with simple four-man rushes.

Last year New York finished fifth against the run, allowing 93.1 yards per game on the ground, while they struggled against the pass at 253.5 yards per game through the air (14th in the NFL).

From 2009 to 2011 the Jets had a great secondary with the inability to generate a straight forward pass rush. From 2012 to 2014 the Jets possessed an awful secondary with the ability for a standard pass rush.

Jets Current Defensive Depth Chart:

Now, for the first time in a long time, the Jets defense will have the combination of a great secondary and a sick pass rush together.

Now, for the first time in a long time, the Jets defense will have the combination of a great secondary and a sick pass rush together.

Richardson tallied eight sacks in 2014. Wilkerson came up with six. While the sack numbers aren’t extremely high for either guy, they are a fantastic number for interior linemen.

There’s no need to explain what Revis, Cromartie and Skrine do for a defense. I mean honestly, could it just be a coincidence that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick finally won that fourth Super Bowl once Revis came to town?

Dec 28, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back

Lamar Miller

(26) runs through the tackle of New York Jets free safety

Calvin Pryor

(25) and linebacker

Demario Davis

(56) in the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Tood Bowles will have to work on newly acquired Marcus Gilchrist and soon to be second-year man Calvin Pryor at the safety positions.

At middle linebacker they are stout. David Harris is still one of the better run stoppers from the inside in the game. What he lacks in pass coverage, youngster Demario Davis makes up for.

This defense on paper has every component a dominating defense needs.

Interior line play? Check. Linebacker run plugging and dropback awareness? Check. Stud cover-corners? Double-Check (sorry Aaron Rodgers).

The only two spots that will need some reinforcements are at the safety position, and more importantly a top edge pass rusher.

Quinton Coples has stepped up during the past two years (last year being his best at 6.5 sacks). Still, the Jets need a stud edge rusher in the worst way. This will remain the biggest, and possibly only need on defense entering the draft.

We all know Todd Bowles loves to blitz. He did it in more than any other defensive coordinator with Arizona last year. There was a reason for it – he had Patrick Peterson and Cromartie.

With this Jets unit he can actually take his foot off the blitz pedal, especially if the Jets can find that true edge rusher opposite Coples.

There is no question this unit is among the very few in the league that can challenge as the best defense in the league.

Next: Marcus Mariota Too Good To Pass Up

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