Rookie Dept. : ...so far ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

With the New York Jets over a week into 2016 training camp, the rookies are getting plenty of chances to earn roster spots and playing time. This group has everything from sure-fire starters to ‘no names’ making their case be heard. Let’s take a look.

1) Jordan Jenkins  (⇔)

The third rounder out of Georgia continues to impress just about everyone. Jenkins is penciled in as a starting outside linebacker for the Jets and he’s given the team no reason to make a call to free agent veteran Calvin Pace.Coming into camp he held a reputation as an edge sealing ‘backer but his coverage has been extremely impressive as well.

2) Juston Burris (⇑7)

Burris makes a gigantic jump from the nine spot to number two. While he’s been beat for long gainers by Brandon Marshall and Jalin Marshall, his physicality and man coverage ability is standing out. His interception off of Ryan Fitzpatrick also turned him into a barber for a brief stint.

3) Darron Lee (⇓1)

Lee had his ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment (Brandon Marshall even yelled those exact words) as he was trucked by running back Dominique Williams. The good news is Lee had a big practice the following day, showing plenty of physicality and most importantly his coverage ability.

4) Jalin Marshall (⇑3)

The undrafted receiver out of Ohio State continues to make a name for himself. Marshall has a real chance to win the starting return jobs on special teams, but his receiving ability is starting to stand out as well. He’s even caught Ryan Fitzpatrick’s eye, even if he’s still just ‘the Ohio State kid.’

5) Freddie Bishop (⇔)

The CFL product holds the five spot after making a huge strip sack on Christian Hackenberg in practice this week. He’s in the mix to win snaps as a situational pass rusher.

6) Ross Martin (previously unranked)

The undrafted kicker out of Duke is making a serious case to take Nick Folk’s job. Not only has he been lights out from short to mid range, but he’s shown a strong leg hitting multiple 60 yarders.

7) Charone Peake (⇓1)

It had been a relatively quiet camp for Peake until late in the week where he made a spectacular one handed grab.

8) Lachlan Edwards (⇓5)

A five spot drop seems a bit harsh for Edwards, but a punter has little opportunity to rise above other position groups. He’s shown off a very strong leg and looks in line to start, but he has to find consistency.

9) Christian Hackenberg (⇓5)

Hackenberg has seen the least amount of reps (as expected) amongst the quarterbacks, making it hard for him to show strides week one.

10) Doug Middleton (⇔)

Middleton remains in the top ten again as he’s making plays in coverage while proving to have potential as a special teams contributor.

>     http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/08/06/power-ranking-jets-rookie-class-football-is-back-edition/

[Nostradamus]

What rookie is a "sure fire starter"?? 

[Tinstar]

By all accounts, the new Punter has shown the Jets exactly why they drafted him ahead of the Fan favorite who has been released . I realize we're talking about a punter, but when you consider who might command a starting position on our roster, I think the Punter should be ranked at #2 behind Jenkins and the Kicker at #5 behind Marshall and Lee .

JMO

That is all . 

[kelly]

 -- First-round pick Darron Lee received a $5.6 million signing bonus from the New York Jets, so naturally he went out and splurged for something extravagant -- maybe a sports car, a new house or a monster flat-screen TV.

Not exactly.

"I haven't spent a cent," Lee said on Tuesday. "I haven't bought anything. I haven't spent a dime. ... I'm cheap, to an extent."

The Jets are counting on him to be faster to the football than he is to the cash register. We'll get our first real look at Lee on Thursday night, when the team opens the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium. The 6-foot-1, 232-pound linebacker isn't listed as a starter -- he's behind Erin Henderson -- but he should see extensive action in his NFL debut.

"I'm very ready," Lee said.

You will see a different kind of linebacker, not the typical downhill thumper. Lee, the fastest linebacker at the scouting combine (4.47 seconds in the 40), is a sideline-to-sideline player with the ability to blitz and drop into coverage. He's not David Harris, an inside run stuffer. He's a versatile player who, in theory, should be able to make plays in space, if used correctly."Right now, we're still evaluating to figure out what can he do," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. "Right now, these next four preseason games, we kind of see him athletically. We knew what he could do when we drafted him. We just need to see what his role is going to be for us going forward."

Chances are Lee will wind up playing in sub packages -- i.e. the nickel -- increasing the overall speed on defense. That was one of the Jets' goals at the start of the offseason. Despite his size, he's a natural pass-rusher, as evidenced by his 12 sacks in two seasons at Ohio State.Lee is accustomed to playing in front of crowds of 100,000, but he admitted he might experience butterflies in his debut.

"There will be a small, little feeling of relief because you know you made it here and it's your dream," he said. "It's great to be here because only a small percentage of guys have this opportunity. But also my nerves will be up, trying to go out there and help contribute to a win. There will be nerves and excitement because it's my first NFL game. I'm very ecstatic just to be in this position."

>     http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/61984/jets-rookie-darron-lee-potential-nickel-linebacker-hasnt-spent-a-dime

[kelly]

A breakdown of the 2016 New York Jets draft class and its progress after two weeks of training camp.

Darron Lee, LB, first round: He "flashed quite a bit" in Thursday night's preseason opener, according to coach Todd Bowles. The undersized but speedy Lee (one sack, one tackle-for-loss) showed he can make plays in space, but he disappeared a few times in the land of the giants. He probably can help this year in a specific role, not as a traditional inside linebacker.

Christian Hackenberg, QB, second round: The Jets are taking a long-term approach with Hackenberg, who needs to recalibrate after a rough final season at Penn State. The physical tools are there, but he still needs to improve his accuracy, especially on short and intermediate throws. He didn't see any action on Thursday night.

Jordan Jenkins, OLB, third round: He was the only rookie to start the first game, which says something. Jenkins was relatively quiet (three tackles), but he has impressed throughout camp. The coaches like his ability to set the edge against the run and win one-on-one matchups as a pass-rusher. He could be an opening-day starter.

Juston Burris, CB, fourth round: He's a good fit in Bowles' press-man system because of his size (6-foot) and long arms. Burris has a knack for getting his hands on the ball (two pass breakups), a trait he has displayed on the practice field. The big question is whether he has catch-up speed. He'll make the 53-man roster and could contribute as the fourth or fifth corner.

Brandon Shell, OT, fifth round: This will be a redshirt year, so to speak. The Jets drafted him with the idea of developing him for 2017. He's playing left and right tackle in practice, which will help him in the future.

Lach Edwards, P, sixth round: He's the only punter on the roster, so he'd have to really mess up to blow his spot on the 53. Edwards was solid in his debut, averaging 41.5 yards (net) and putting two punts inside the 20. He's also the holder on field goals and PATs, an important job.

Charone Peake, WR, seventh round: The Jets may have found a late-round gem. Peake, a product of Wide Receiver U (Clemson), emerged last week in practice and took it to the game, finishing with a team-high four catches for 45 yards. He made a nice, toe-tapping touchdown grab on a 17-yard throw fromGeno Smith. Peake has the size and athleticism, all he needs is technique refinement.

>      http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/62047/jets-draft-class-trending-upward-with-darron-lee-jordan-jenkins

[kelly]

Rookie linebacker  Darron Lee  put together a productive outing in his first professional game. Lee played with the second team Thursday, compiling four total tackles, including one for loss and a sack. He had another TFL that was negated by a penalty and his performance caught the eye of head coach Todd Bowles.

“I saw him make some tackles,” he said. “I need to see exactly how — whether he scraped correctly and all of those things — but he flashed quite a bit.”In the second quarter, Lee recorded the team’s second sack of the night as he brought down Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne for a loss of two yards.  Defensive end  Shelby Harris  got around the edge and forced Henne to stumble forward in the pocket before Lee secured the sack.  

“Things actually started to slow down, but that’s because we’ve been speeding it up in practice,” Lee said. “The coaches challenge us to make those calls faster and more efficient.”

The 6’1”, 232-pounder started on special teams as well and was challenged aerobically by the double duty.“I’m pretty tired from special teams, I’m not going to lie,” Lee said. “But according to everybody else, that’s what a rookie has to do. I have to keep running down on special teams, but still go out and make plays regardless if you’re winded. But other than that, I had a lot of fun.”

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Lee-Flashes-in-First-NFL-Game/219f19cf-e191-4736-8c42-cb32bb878d53

[kelly]

Linebacker  Darron Lee  had an impressive preseason debut. The Jets’ first-rounder totaled four tackles, one TFL, one sack, and he also managed to catch the attention of Todd Bowles. After the Green & White’s 17-13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bowles said the rookie “flashed” in the opener.“I think Coach was being very generous at that point. I think I have a lot of stuff to work on,” Lee said. “It was good just to get my feet wet in the NFL. I had a lot of fun. But at the end of the day, I still have a lot of work to do.”

The Ohio State product says the easiest transition from college to the pros has been establishing a routine. Rhythm was not a problem for Lee at OSU, where he collected 146 total tackles, 11 sacks and 3 interceptions.“The hardest part is dealing with guys who know the tricks and trades of the game. People who always have like a little trick up their sleeve,” Lee said. “It’s tough because I’ll look at a play and be like, ‘Oh, I have it easy,’ but then this guy knows some old trick because he’s a veteran.”

Lee is currently taking inside linebacker reps behind  David Harris  and  Erin Henderson . The two veterans have been more than happy to show the 21-year-old the ropes.“I’m learning how to play the run a lot better, defending the pass and other techniques,” Lee said. “Just little subtle stuff to help me learn linebacking and the entire defense as a whole. They are a huge help with that and they’re helping me day-by-day.”

The former high school quarterback has quite a ways to go, but it’s a good first step.“Off to a good start,” he said. “I need to work on my technique and conditioning, but off to a great start. I’m just going to keep building after that.”

>        http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Rookie-Lee-Gets-Feet-Wet-/44e900ae-6f8b-4278-b04c-f9145febdb19