The speedy little WR who could make Jets fans’ hearts race

[NYJets8]

 

Andy IsabellaAP

MOBILE, Ala. — New York has seen what an undersize slot receiver from UMass can do. Victor Cruz helped the Giants win a Super Bowl. Now, can the Jets follow that same path?

Meet Andy Isabella, the speedy wide receiver who has turned heads this week at the Senior Bowl and put himself squarely on the radar of NFL teams, including the Jets. Isabella is just 5 feet 8, 186 pounds, but he has proved in his college career he can play with the big boys. He is reinforcing that message this week.

“Isabella has got something,” said Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who is coaching Isabella’s North team. “He is quick.”

That he is.

Isabella, a former high school track star in Ohio, made some headlines Tuesday when he said he ran a 4.26 hand-timed 40-yard dash during a recent training session. That would be close to the record of 4.22 that John Ross set at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine.

 

On Wednesday, Isabella, perhaps seeing the publicity he generated by saying that, backed off a bit. He said his only electronic-timed 40 was 4.39 seconds. That came in high school. He said his goal is to top that at next month’s combine.

There is no questioning Isabella’s production in college. He caught 102 passes for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns this season for the Minutemen. That led the FBS and he was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top wide receiver.

The Jets are looking for a slot receiver to fill the role in new coach Adam Gase’s offense that Danny Amendola filled in Miami and Jarvis Landry before him. Gase likes quick, shifty slot receivers.

“I think I would fit pretty well,” Isabella said. “I’ve watched the Dolphins a lot. Amendola does a great job for them. They have a bunch of little receivers they use with quick screens and stuff like that. I think I’d fit in well in that offense.”

Isabella said he has met with the Jets twice this week. Scouts not only rave about Isabella’s speed, but also his intelligence. He was a mechanical engineering major at UMass until being told he could not graduate in 3½ years in that program. He wanted to graduate in December so he could concentrate on the draft. So he switched his major. You’d figure he would pick something easy. Instead, he went with applied mathematics.

 

“It’s actually harder than engineering,” Isabella said.

Isabella knows teams are going to have reservations about his size.

“They probably do,” Isabella said. “But they’ve seen the tape of what I’ve put out. It’s out there. So, it’s their call.”

His best game came in his last in college. Against No. 5 Georgia, Isabella put on a show and proved he can compete with the nation’s best players. He had 15 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a blowout loss. It was his sixth game of the season with 100 or more receiving yards.

“I just went out there and wasn’t worried about the score,” Isabella said. “I know the game got away from us [a 66-27 loss], but I was going to go out there and give everything I had in my last college game I was ever going to play. I was just having fun. I was relaxed. That’s what helped me do so well.”

[Barry McCockinner]

I thought for sure this was going to be about Devin Smith.

[JoJoTownsell1]

Tarik Cohen

Tyreek Hill

Christian Mccaffrey

Alvin Kamara

Julian Edelman

Teams are definitely finding smaller playmakers fit today's game more than they did in the past. 

[joewilly12]

Late round reach why not. 

[Nixhead]

Draft the Beast!

[Nixhead]

1 minute ago, joewilly12 said:

Late round reach why not. 

Are u kidding me? He would be the Jets second rounder - if they had one!

[JustInFudge]

He’s on my wish list.  If we could pull him and Deebo, I’d cream my Sam Darnold boner pants.

[Scoop24]

Heard he has looked terrific but he body catches and when he doesn’t use his body it’s pretty much a drop . 

[Joe W. Namath]

In the 7th rnd....love it.

[Scoop24]

1 minute ago, Joe W. Namath said:

In the 7th rnd....love it.

If he really runs a low 4.3 he will go a lot higher than that . 

[joenamathwouldn'tcry]

Looks like a second round mistake,,  3rd round value,  fourth round steal,

[jetstream23]

47 minutes ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

Tarik Cohen

Tyreek Hill

Christian Mccaffrey

Alvin Kamara

Julian Edelman

Teams are definitely finding smaller playmakers fit today's game more than they did in the past. 

Can Trent Cannon spend the next 5 months practicing route-running and looking balls into his hands?

 

Quote

Strengths

• Explosive athlete with breakaway potential. Posted 38.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot-9 broad jump. Ran 4.40-second 40-yard dash with electrifying 1.49 10-yard split. Gets to top gear immediately to pull away from defenders when racing around the corner. Loose hips with lateral agility to make sharp, late cuts to avoid tacklers who are on top of him. Homerun ability with 35 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. Offers special teams potential with three kick returns for touchdowns during career

 

[GREENBEAN]

Can’t have too many guys who “want it” and play at 100% every down. He’s the exact kind of guy that overcomes all the obvious doubts about him and succeeds anyway.
I’d love to see him grabbed by the jets in the 3rd


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

[FidelioJet]

19 minutes ago, Scoop24 said:

Heard he has looked terrific but he body catches and when he doesn’t use his body it’s pretty much a drop . 

If he doesn't have quick, strong hands I want nothing to do with him.

these little guys need to be able to reach and snag the ball out of the air.  

[joewilly12]

42 minutes ago, Nixhead said:

Are u kidding me? He would be the Jets second rounder - if they had one!

NO WAY

[JoJoTownsell1]

9 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

Can Trent Cannon spend the next 5 months practicing route-running and looking balls into his hands?

 

 

I was going to mention Cannon as Mac's most recent attempt to find that utility players that impact games without being a #1RB or #1WR. I think Cannon still  has a chance to become a player but he didn't show enough to stop Macc from trying to improve upon him. 

[Tony MaC]

Ooh, a new White Boy receiver! Yeah, we need one of those. After Decker left we thought maybe Chad Hansen could be our new White Boy receiver, looked handsome, was really intelligent (or I'm sure somebody said that about him at some point) and he was extra scrappy!But it was not to be. What we need a true blue supper duper scrappy gym rat underdog number 1 White Boy Receiver in this offense. I think this guy could fit the bill and be our next Wayne Chrebet, because he's small and white and a receiver you see! ?

 

But nah, really he sounds fine. That game against Georgia in particular sounds encouraging. Sounds like the kind of guy that'll boost his way to the upper rounds after the combine so who knows if he'll be available at the Jet's third round pick. Gotta turn over every stone.

[Tony MaC]

8 minutes ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

I was going to mention Cannon as Mac's most recent attempt to find that utility players that impact games without being a #1RB or #1WR. I think Cannon still  has a chance to become a player but he didn't show enough to stop Macc from trying to improve upon him. 

He's a guy I'm curious to see this summer. With a full offseason can he become a true scat-back and check down option rather than the guy that's only used for the occasional failed screen? The dude is all speed and has no specialty at the moment, but he's still got some upside for now.

[roscoeword]

He's got to be a Tyreek Hill to be worth it at 1 or 2 (round) 

[Scoop24]

23 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

If he doesn't have quick, strong hands I want nothing to do with him.

these little guys need to be able to reach and snag the ball out of the air.  

Penny Hart is also killing it this week. He has good hands not as fast but a much more refined reciever.

[New York Mick]

It’s not track and field his 40 is meaningless unless he can catch with his hands and run routes. 

[Scoop24]

10 minutes ago, New York Mick said:

It’s not track and field his 40 is meaningless unless he can catch with his hands and run routes. 

Kid put up 200 yards on Georgia . He definitely can play that speed is just icing on the cake . This isn’t Stephen hill here with no production 

[New York Mick]

18 minutes ago, Tony MaC said:

Ooh, a new White Boy receiver! Yeah, we need one of those. After Decker left we thought maybe Chad Hansen could be our new White Boy receiver, looked handsome, was really intelligent (or I'm sure somebody said that about him at some point) and he was extra scrappy!But it was not to be. What we need a true blue supper duper scrappy gym rat underdog number 1 White Boy Receiver in this offense. I think this guy could fit the bill and be our next Wayne Chrebet, because he's small and white and a receiver you see! ?

 

But nah, really he sounds fine. That game against Georgia in particular sounds encouraging. Sounds like the kind of guy that'll boost his way to the upper rounds after the combine so who knows if he'll be available at the Jet's third round pick. Gotta turn over every stone.

I thought he was black because of his 40 time until your post. I still don’t want him if he can’t catch with his hands. If they want a white receiver get Renfrow from Clemson in the late rounds. 

[joenamathwouldn'tcry]

2 minutes ago, Scoop24 said:

Kid put up 200 yards on Georgia . He definitely can play that speed is just icing on the cake . This isn’t Stephen hill here with no production 

Apples and Oranges, my friend.

[New York Mick]

12 minutes ago, Scoop24 said:

Kid put up 200 yards on Georgia . He definitely can play that speed is just icing on the cake . This isn’t Stephen hill here with no production 

I honestly don’t know hardly anything about him, clearly I thought he was black. Anyway so far from what I’m reading Penny Hart is a better choice. He’s a similar size and speed but catches really well with his hands. 

[playtowinthegame]

Invite him to camp after the draft the 7th round is over. 

[GreenFish]

For what it’s worth, the Draft Network guys have him as the 12th best receiver in the draft. They note he has good route running and hands. But struggles with contested catches. 

[southparkcpa]

1 hour ago, Barry McCockinner said:

I thought for sure this was going to be about Devin Smith.

Or Stephen Hill.....

[southparkcpa]

11 hours ago, joenamathwouldn'tcry said:

Looks like a second round mistake,,  3rd round value,  fourth round steal,

Too bad we don’t have a second rounder... he could mosy into the Hall of fame  second round busts at MetLife. ?

[CanadienJetsFan]

He will be a great patriot 

[The Crusher]

1 hour ago, JiF said:

He’s on my wish list.  If we could pull him and Deebo, I’d cream my Sam Darnold boner pants.

Im in.

[New York Mick]

I just watched his highlights. He’s fast as **** but catches the ball with his body. He looks like a RB going out on routes. 

 

 

[FidelioJet]

11 minutes ago, GreenFish said:

For what it’s worth, the Draft Network guys have him as the 12th best receiver in the draft. They note he has good route running and hands. But struggles with contested catches. 

This is the NFL - very rarely are guys wide open.

[Warfish]

Is it “draft the next Chrebet” time already?

[Lupz27]

1 hour ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

Tarik Cohen

So THIS

I'm pretty sure he is a UFA I’d give him McKinnon $$$ who cares he is young explosive, and most importantly a dangerous playmaker where ever, and when ever he touches the ball as he could take it to the house on any given play, pair him up with shoot Mark Ingram again who cares we have the money, and playing Ingram at RB every down does not keep Cohen off the field if your a smart OC which Gase is advertised to be, and we won’t have to worry about Macc drafting a 3rd mid round RB in the draft that is average at best, and replaceable off the scrap heap at any time.  Take as much in the way of need off Maccs plate before the draft giving the Jets many more options when they are on the clock at 3 no matter how the first 2 picks play out.

I’d say sign Cohen, and Ingram for offense, and any 2 of Clowney, Lawrence, Frank, and I guess Fowler Jr.  I’m not sure what veteran OL that is on a current team that may be switching blocking schemes, or the team may be so desperate to move up in the draft like the Bills last year, and trade away a stud like Glenn to swap 9 slots in the 1st round.  I’d keep Claiborne around, and offer him the cheapest fairest deal to get it done hopefully another 1 year deal.  Also Marcus Maye is never healthy, and when healthy he really should be a Big Nickel Safety/Backup to Adams at SS, heck I’d even be open to try Adams in a Hybrid Mike/SS with Lee, and Williamson as Will, and Sam, and Maye as a true SS role, and maybe be the Jets can be the team that can convince Earl Thomas they are the right spot for him for his 1 year prove it deal he will most likely have to sign.

Clowney, Shepherd, Leo, Lawrence/Frank/Fowler

A Williamson, D Lee on the outside LB spots, Mike ????

Mo Claiborne, Tru Johnson, Parry Nickerson as the top 3 CB’s is more then acceptable for any DC never mind G Williams.  Then you went out, and got G Williams that true stud FS when healthy in Earl Thomas who is the perfect fit to play the Darren Sharper role from the Williams 2009 Saints SB winning D, then throw in the freebie toy for G Williams to have a **** ton of fun with that he never had in NO with Adams, and Maye can be used in Adams traditional role when Adams is schemes to be a playmaking read the play freelance rover, then IF you really want to finish this defense off to catapult it to elite level trade back in the 1st round, and draft the MLB from LSU who can play the sideline to sideline role of Vilma (only if he tests off the charts as far as reading, and diagnosing plays pre snap like Kuechley, and Vilma could).  This would net an extra 2nd round pick for the Jets to use on a offensive lineman, or playmaker.

Sure up the line add Cohen, and Ingram.  Bring back Robbie with Q as 2nd and 3rd WR’s, Herndon should be fine as starting TE if healthy, and not suspended.  Finding that true #1 WR will be the 2nd hardest thing to find this off-season behind proven young OL talent.