FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A have a look at what’s occurring across the New York Jets:
1. Tremendous sleeper: Most NFL prospects are found on Saturday afternoons within the fall, earlier than large crowds and nationwide TV audiences. On uncommon events, there is a hidden gem resembling cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers. For him, it took a random discover on Fb, a advice from one in all former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie’s previous coaches, a life-changing electronic mail and a shrewd scouting division north of the border.
That is how Stiggers wound up on the NFL radar, finally drafted by the Jets within the fifth spherical — solely the third participant within the frequent draft period (since 1967) to be chosen with out having attended faculty.
“It is nonetheless surreal for me,” he mentioned Friday at rookie minicamp. “By no means thought I would be right here.”
He was speculated to attend Lane School, a Division II faculty in Jackson, Tennessee, however he paused his soccer profession and returned dwelling to Atlanta to assist assist his household (13 siblings) when his father died after a number of months in a coma due to accidents from a automotive crash. When Stiggers was able to resume, his mom searched the web for enjoying alternatives, finally signing him up for Fan Managed Soccer, a 7-on-7 indoor league that operated on the premise that followers known as performs on their telephone.
John Jenkins, a coach within the league, was impressed by Stiggers’ potential. Jenkins, who was the offensive coordinator with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 1997 when Flutie was the quarterback, was on a routine go to with the Argos in 2022 when he instructed them about Stiggers.
“[He] instructed us about this younger, 20-year-old phenom child,” Argos assistant basic supervisor Vince Magri mentioned in a telephone interview.
“Truthfully, all of it sounded slightly out of left subject.”
However, what the heck, they took his title and filed it away. Finally, they tracked down sport movie — which wasn’t straightforward. It was troublesome to trace his video games on YouTube as a result of FCF rosters reset each week. The FCF streamlined issues by emailing video hyperlinks to the Argos, who had been capable of examine each play that instantly concerned Stiggers.
Magri was impressed. Quickly, the movies made the rounds with Toronto staffers and coaches taking seems to be. They had been blown away. Magri mentioned the consensus was, “Am I loopy with what I am seeing?” He added, “Everybody thought there is a potential gem right here.”
They interviewed Stiggers, now 22, by telephone and provided him a contract. Not solely did he make the crew, however he recorded 5 interceptions and have become the primary defensive again in 25 years to win the CFL’s rookie of the yr. Some NFL groups needed to signal him as a free agent, however he was ineligible as a result of he did not attend faculty. The principles required him to undergo the draft course of.
Magri reached out to a good friend, Eric Galko, the director of operations and participant personnel for the East-West Shrine Bowl. He provided a roster spot to Stiggers, who dazzled NFL scouts on the all-star sport along with his dimension (6-foot, 204 kilos), pace (4.45 seconds within the 40-yard sprint) and sticky cross protection.
“A person amongst boys as a man-coverage nook,” Galko mentioned by telephone, including that Stiggers impressed so many along with his maturity and need to study.
By now, Stiggers was not a scouting secret, though he did not get an invitation to the scouting mix. The Jets’ professional scouts had eyes on him within the CFL, with the school scouts taking on in the course of the pre-draft course of. Drew Morris, a former CFL scout, did a variety of the legwork.
Stiggers mentioned he is grateful to the CFL for the chance, including, “Everyone that missed out on me, now they must pay.”
He made $73,000 Canadian throughout his lone season with the Argos, which equates to $54,000 in present U.S. {dollars}. His four-year contract with the Jets will common about $1.1 million per yr.
2. Mission: Tremendous Bowl. The 2023 offseason was dominated by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The hype has died down, and it is all about soccer, in accordance with captain C.J. Mosley.
“I really feel like we’re ready now the place we’re not even enthusiastic about that stuff anymore,” Mosley mentioned. “As soon as we get on the sphere, as soon as all of us get collectively as a crew, we ought to be on a mission and one mission solely — and that is to win a Tremendous Bowl. If anybody remains to be starstruck after they see Aaron, get that out of the way in which. If not, he’ll throw the ball and lightweight you up anyway. All that is stuff that is not about profitable, we’re not frightened about that anymore.”
3. Robust losses: The entrance 4 is the bellwether of the defensive unit, and it took some large hits this offseason. Gone are starters John Franklin-Myers and Quinton Jefferson and crew sack chief Bryce Huff. It is honest to surprise if the Jets erred in not retaining one or two.
Huff, Franklin-Myers and Jefferson mixed for 134 quarterback pressures final season — 44% of the defensive position’s whole, in accordance with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats. They mixed for 78 run stops — 34% of the entire. Jefferson was their second-best run stuffer, primarily based on run-stop proportion.
“The fellows which might be coming in to switch them, they’ve large sneakers to fill,” Mosley mentioned.
The replacements are Haason Reddick, Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu, who mixed for 97 quarterback pressures and 66 run stops with their respective groups final season.
Reddick, one of many NFL’s most prolific cross rushers, can be a three-down participant at finish, with Kinlaw and Fotu more likely to break up time alongside Quinnen Williams at sort out. Will McDonald IV and Micheal Clemons must step into larger backup roles on the surface. They’re relying on Clemons to switch Franklin-Myers because the so-called enforcer, however will probably be exhausting to duplicate his third-down speeding from the within.
4. Idol chatter: First-round decide Olu Fashanu began learning Tyron Smith video as a sophomore at Gonzaga School Excessive Faculty in Washington, D.C. It was solely his second yr in soccer, his first on the road, so he figured the man to emulate was Smith, a perennial Professional Bowl choice with the Dallas Cowboys earlier than signing with the Jets in March.
“He is really my soccer idol,” Fashanu mentioned.
5. Conserving busy: Whereas Fashanu is not slated to start out, the Jets count on him to get loads of worthwhile reps by way of the spring and summer time as a result of Smith, 33, can be on a modified observe program. Ditto, proper sort out Morgan Moses, 33, which ought to create reps for others. Fashanu was restricted in rookie camp due to a quadriceps pressure from the mix.
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Olumuyiwa Fashanu’s NFL draft reel
Try the highlights from Penn State offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu.
6. Useful: On this age of draft-information overload, a participant’s hand dimension can develop into a speaking level. Such is the case with Fashanu, who has unusually small arms for an individual his dimension — 8 ½ inches, simply the smallest among the many 70 offensive linemen at this yr’s mix.
The final offensive lineman with 8 ½-inch arms was Isaiah Wynn, in accordance with nflcombineresults.com. Wynn was a New England Patriots first-round decide in 2018.
7. A narrative for the ages: Rookie working again Braelon Allen (fourth spherical), who does not flip 21 till January, was the youngest participant within the draft. Rodgers, 40, was the NFL’s oldest participant in 2023. Now the Jets might have the youngest and oldest participant. Allen was a 1-year-old when Rodgers was drafted in 2005.
8. ‘Jot’ this down: Each offseason has a theme. This yr, the coaches are preaching J.O.T. — Simply One Factor. They need every participant to deal with one space of enchancment. Linebacker Quincy Williams revealed his J.O.T. — ball expertise. He mentioned he dropped too many would-be interceptions final season.
9. A reputation to observe: Quarterback PeeWee Jarrett, an undrafted rookie from Division II West Florida, has the type of arm power that may open some eyes. He amazed some scouts by launching 70-yard passes at West Florida, the place he threw 65 touchdowns in two seasons.
10. Huge funding: Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker’s fifth-year possibility ($15.3 million) was exercised regardless of having performed solely 28 video games — uncommon, however not unprecedented. Of the 18 first-round picks in 2021 whose choices had been picked up, one has logged fewer video games than Vera-Tucker — Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (21).
