New York Jets: Early top 5 free agency targets for 2019

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ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 16: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants carries the ball against DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys and Jaylon Smith #54 of the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

1. Demarcus Lawrence, EDGE

Setting the edge isn’t about just getting after the passer, even though Demarcus Lawrence can do that. It’s also about stopping the run.

Lawrence, though is one of the top pass rushers in the game, and despite being a 3-4 defensive end for the Cowboys, in the Jets system, he’d end up rushing from the outside linebacker position. So far in his career, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) he’s gotten a pressure on 9.9 percent of his pass rush snaps.

That’s impressive enough, but when you look at the run defense, that has improved every season. He went from getting a run stop on 5.4 percent of his snaps (via PFF) as a rookie to being a premier run defender being in the top three (17 percent) in run stop percentage. So, he’s more than just a pass rush specialist. That means he’s a three-down edge rusher.

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The Jets need that guy to be the primary player to set the edge in the running game and get after the quarterback in the passing game. With Darron Lee seeming to come into his own in coverage, now is the perfect time to get the edge presence fixed. When they do that, the domino effect will be seen. The team will get more turnovers and better field position for Darnold, giving the offense more confidence

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.

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