New York Jets: 5 Impact players under 25 years old

3 of 4

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 24: Leonard Williams #92 of the New York Jets reacts during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL game at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images) /

3. Leonard Williams, DT (First Round, 2015 NFL Draft)

You read that correctly, Leonard Williams is third on this list. He was draft three years ago, but he still won’t be 25 until next season. Williams impact won’t be seen on the stat sheet for himself, though.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote, we can expect a lot of double teams headed the way of Williams. For the opponents of the Jets, it will be a case of not letting the best player beat them. That becomes a double-edge sword, though, because if others step up, you can’t let an entire team beat you, then he will get some.

Guy like Fatukasi, Jordan Jenkins, and Lorenzo Mauldin will have to step up when Williams gets his share of double teams. When they do, it’ll become a pick your poison deal for the opponents of the Jets.

For Williams, you probably won’t see a high sack or tackles for loss total. What you will see is the numbers of the players around him go up. That’s where his impact will be. Impact isn’t always in individual numbers in a team sport, especially football. His presence will make the players around him better, and thus, he will make a huge impact on the Jets defense in 2018.

Home/New York Jets