New York Jets: 3 Players to watch in Preseason Week 3

3. Darron Lee

The spotlight was on Darron Lee this preseason. Against Washington, he looked lost and terrible in pass coverage. It has become abundantly clear that he doesn’t belong in pass coverage for the Jets, but what is his issue in coverage?

The Jets gave him more responsibility by adding calling plays to his duties — which means he will get the defensive head-piece. In reality, they should’ve given him less responsibility, and that’s clear after the game last Thursday.

In that game, it wasn’t a lack of talent that showed, but his mental state. It became clear to me that Lee has too much on his plate, and instead of letting football instincts take hold, he’s out there thinking way too much.

For that reason, he doesn’t belong solely on the inside. He should be a rush specialist. Lee should be used as a run stopping and pass rush linebacker not confined to the middle linebacker position. They should line him up everywhere and just tell him to attack the backfield, whether it’s run or pass. No thinking is needed there, and maybe that would free him up to be able to use the talent he has to better help the Jets succeed on defense.