New York Jets: 3 Things to watch for in Preseason Week 2
1. Is Nathan Shepherd the answer?
From an individual standpoint, many eyes were on Sam Darnold, and he passed with flying colors. However, there was another member of the Jets rookie class who passed his test against starters — Nathan Shepherd.
We heard Shepherd’s name called a lot on the television broadcast while he was in the game, and with good reason. He shined using strength and athleticism to get after the Falcons running game.
Back in April, ESPN’s Rich Cimini surmised that defensive tackle Leonard Williams would see a lot of double-teams in 2018, because he was the only threat on the defensive line for the Jets. He wrote the following:
"Williams will be a marked man, constantly drawing double-teams from opposing offenses. He’s the only impact player in the front seven, making it easier for teams to focus on him."
It made sense at the time, because the draft hadn’t happened yet. However, now that we’ve seen a preseason game, that assumption may have to go out the window, especially if Shepherd can continue that in Week 2 against the Redskins.
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In fact, if Shepherd can continue to show that he’s a force, team won’t be able key in on Williams. That dimension will be key to success for the Jets pass rush. If they can send four guys and get pressure on the quarterback that’ll do wonders for their coverage and pass rush.