Micheal Clemons.. Breaking down the secret weapon on the Jets’ DL

[jtomm]

• Not Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers nor Jermaine Johnson II: It's Micheal Clemons, a 2022 fourth-round pick who quietly excelled in his rookie campaign.

• Clemons put himself among the game's elite: The only rookie defensive linemen in the PFF era to earn a higher run-defense grade than Clemons were Aaron Donald and Sheldon Richardson.

• Pass-rush struggles leave plenty of room for improvement: Clemons still has much to work on in his second season after earning a 58.6 pass-rush grade in 2022.

The New York Jets’ defensive line is loaded. It is arguably the team's best unit, especially considering their pass-rushing depth. They continued to add to it this offseason by drafting first-rounder Will McDonald IV as somewhat of a luxury option.

Here are some of the components of the Jets’ defensive line last season:

• The highest-graded run stopper of any defensive lineman in the NFL
• The only edge defender in the NFL to play at least 300 snaps and not miss a tackle
• The second-highest-graded rookie defensive lineman in the NFL, only behind Aidan Hutchinson

Logical matches for these descriptions should probably be All-Pro Quinnen Williams, PFF secret superstar John Franklin-Myers and 2022 first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II. They’re all solid-to-excellent players, but none of them fit the above criteria. In fact, only one player matches all of it.Micheal Clemons is that player. The fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M came to New York with little fanfare. He was an older rookie with a monstrous 6-foot-5, 270-pound frame and a high motor. His pass-rush moves needed refinement, but the ability was there. He tallied 46 pressures in his final year in College Station, the fourth most in the SEC.

His non-stop hustle and sheer aggression were evident early on:

Clemons is not the guy you want to get a free shot at the quarterback. His 58.6 pass-rush grade isn’t wholly impressive, but there were moments when his potential as a power rusher shined.Trent Brown weighs upward of 370 pounds, and Clemons basically bench-pressed him and threw him to the side. Continued production like this in the passing game would put Clemons in Pro Bowl conversationsWhere Clemons really makes his impact, though, is in the run game. Despite being criminally underused at times, he was the NFL’s highest-graded run defender among all defensive linemen. It marked just the second time in the PFF era (since 2006) that a rookie led all NFL defensive linemen in run-defense grade.

Who was the first? Aaron Donald, of course, in 2014, which brings us to the historical context of Micheal Clemons’ production.

Highest Run-Defense Grade by a Rookie Defensive Lineman (min. 150 run-defense snaps)

Aaron Donald, 2014	90.8
Sheldon Richardson, 2013	90.7
Khalil Mack, 2014	90.3
Micheal Clemons, 2022	86.4
Leonard Williams, 2015	86.3
Joey Bosa, 2016	85.2

Clemons is obviously in elite company. The primary difference is that he played only 311 total snaps and the rest of the group all played well over 550. Why Clemons didn’t play more is a mystery, but it was clear that he could make immediate contributions.The above clip was in Week 1 against an elite running team in Baltimore. Clemons continued to make plays all year, culminating in a season-high 78.3 run-defense grade in Week 15 against Detroit:

It wasn’t until that Week 15 performance that Clemons was unleashed to play 30-plus snaps in the following two games. In between all the splash plays, he also doesn’t make many mistakes in the run game. He earned a negative grade on just 4.3% of his run-defense snaps, the seventh-best rate among NFL defensive linemen with 150 run-defense snaps played.Jets’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich recently said Clemons has bulked up to around 290 pounds in order to increase his versatility and help on the inside, where the Jets are thinner.

Wherever Clemons plays in 2023, it’s obvious that he needs to play more and has the skill, especially in the run game, to back it up. He is as talented as the numerous first-rounders the Jets deploy on the defensive line. He had an excellent rookie season. If the Jets field a top defense in the NFL this season, Micheal Clemons will be a big reason why.

videos from above article  >>   https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-breaking-down-secret-weapon-new-york-jets-defensive-line

[Jetkwondo]

WOW! Read that quick and again WOW!  

Safe to say everyone here is rooting for that to be true...

Again,  hard knocks should give him national exposure as his blunt, stoic nature is refreshing and fascinating for such a focused, intimidating guy. 

[The Crusher]

I have dissapoint. I thought this thread was an interview witClemons asking him what the Jets defense secret weapon is. Was looking forward to a one word answer exactly the same as his favorite villian. 

[slats]

1 hour ago, jtomm said:

Jets’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich recently said Clemons has bulked up to around 290 pounds in order to increase his versatility and help on the inside, where the Jets are thinner.

If he hasn’t lost too much speed with the increase in size, he’s going to be a monster this season. My expectation is that he’s going to be playing inside a lot, maybe just changing his position to DT. Imagine you’re facing QW all day, he finally takes a breather, and now you have to deal with Clemens? Long day for that guy. But with Lawson, Johnson, Huff, McDonald, and JFM moving inside and out, it’s the DT spot I see Clemens filling more often than not in this year’s rotation. 

[Sperm Edwards]

2 hours ago, slats said:

If he hasn’t lost too much speed with the increase in size, he’s going to be a monster this season. My expectation is that he’s going to be playing inside a lot, maybe just changing his position to DT. Imagine you’re facing QW all day, he finally takes a breather, and now you have to deal with Clemens? Long day for that guy. But with Lawson, Johnson, Huff, McDonald, and JFM moving inside and out, it’s the DT spot I see Clemens filling more often than not in this year’s rotation. 

Well if he's even close to crossed-fingers hopes & expectations, JFM had better have a career season in '23 because his upcoming $28MM in new money from '24-25 will look mighty expendable - if not excessive and far better used elsewhere - in comparison to Clemons's $2MM pay over the same span.

Yes Saleh likes to do more rotation than most (or all) others, but as a zero-sum relationship, what they take from one position group should add to another. 

[MARTIN]

He and Ruckert are the two guys i want to see shine the most this year.

[Beerfish]

Clemons is tough has a great motor and is more suited to inside play imo.  I was startled at how much weight he gained as he did not look like he had a lot of room to gain.  This was a good move by him and the Jets.  He was not a great outside rusher in any case.

[Dcat]

8 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Clemons is tough has a great motor and is more suited to inside play imo.  I was startled at how much weight he gained as he did not look like he had a lot of room to gain.  This was a good move by him and the Jets.  He was not a great outside rusher in any case.

question: Did they play him inside last season?  The bulk added I think is definitely to put him inside. If it takes two guys to wrap up Williams, Clemons can slip through and mess up the QB's plans.  Excited to watch. An offense with Rodgers and Wilson and hopeful for Hall at some point + a fierce DL and Sauce.   This off season is taking forever. 

[rangerous]

The jets need enough good dlinemen so they can make their rotations without losing too much as a group. Clemmons made some nice plays  and if he improves he can push other players out.  Keep improving.

[Bobby816]

I do want to see more of Clemons, JJ and McDonald

[TuscanyTile2]

Crazy to think that the entire 2022 draft might pan out. 

I think we all have high hopes for Ruckert.  

Max Mitchell was promising until the health issue last year

Micheal Clemons might be our "secret weapon".

I guess JJ is still a question mark but he did show something last year in his limited usage.

 

[JiFtheOracle]

Love me some Clemons,  very impressive stat and honestly a bit surprised.  He played well last year but I dont think I realized he was that dominate vs. the run.  I'm somewhat interested to see where JJ came in at vs. the run, I thought he really excelled at playing contain and not letting the ball carrier bounce to the outside.  Seemed like he was pretty solid vs. the run too.

[JiFtheOracle]

This is the clip they mentioned....is this preseason?  lol  Were they grading preseason? 

[Jetkwondo]

Hoping to see more rag dolling tackles like he did on Tyrod Taylor last year! 

 

[Dunnie]

I had no idea he was THIS good. Love the guy .. hope it's true and now the weight gain makes even more sense.

Total Package.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[jtomm]

28 minutes ago, Dunnie said:

I had no idea he was THIS good. Love the guy .. hope it's true and now the weight gain makes even more sense.

Total Package.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

..he's a  " keeper " 😎        i hope our coach manages our players in such a way that they can be productive   😉

[jtomm]

Jets D-Lineman Micheal Clemons Wants to Show He's a 'Monster'

HC Robert Saleh on the Second-Year Man: ‘His Intention Is to Be a Violent Football Player’

Jul 30, 2023  - Jack Bell

There has seldom been a figure more imposing than Jets D-lineman Micheal Clemons as he strode into 1 Jets Drive for the start of training camp -- shirtless and ripped, barely incognito in dark sunglasses, clutching a bat festooned with barbed wire.Asked on Sunday after practice where he got the bat, the generally stoic Clemons said: "I know a guy." Ah, OK. Next question.

To say that Clemons, entering his sophomore season in the NFL, is one of the more-intimidating players on the Jets roster would be a soaring understatement. At 6-5, 270 pounds-plus, he oozes Texas-size toughness.

"Mike? I love his demeanor," head coach Robert Saleh said after practice on Sunday. "His intention is to be a violent football player. The cool thing is he knows how to turn if off off the field. I love his progress. He's gotten bigger and stronger. And he's gone inside. He's doing a really nice job. He's a cool piece, for sure."Drafted by the Jets out of Texas A&M in the fourth round (No. 117 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, Clemons has brought an edge to the team. And though he was technically a rookie last season, at 25 years old Clemons is confident in who he is, what he can do and what he plans to do.With the Jets opening their preseason schedule on Thursday night against Cleveland in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, OH, Clemons was typically terse about what he wanted to show a national TV audience and the cadre of Jets fans who have embraced him and celebrate his persona.

"What do I want to show?" he said. "That the Jets got a f*ing monster. That's what I want to show."

In 16 games last season, Clemons notched 2.5 sacks, 36 total tackles (22 solo), 4 TFL and 6 (thundering) QB hits. He also blocked a punt in the Jets' victory at Green Bay, which Will Parks scooped up and returned for a TD.Now he has found himself playing on the same team as the Packers' former long-time quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As aggressive as Clemons certainly is, he knows it's generally hands off Rodgers in practice. He only played 9 snaps against Rodgers last October.

"Aaron Rodgers is cool," he said. "Sometimes he's talking ball to a younger player, and he likes to play around. He might put out his leg and try to trip me."

While Clemons last season took 311 snaps (29%) on the defensive line, he also played 235 snaps (55%) on special teams. So far early in training camp, Clemons has been getting a taste of life as an inside d-lineman, mirroring the move made by teammate John Franklin-Myers.

"JFM has been doing this for a few years now," Clemons said. "Since I got here, he's passed along some advice to me from time to time. It will help me out as much as possible. That's cool.He also complimented the organization for "bringing in some good dudes."

"The Jets do a great job," he said. "Al [Woods], Q-Jeff [Quinton Jefferson], veterans who can help the young guys by passing along what's helped them be successful. I'm glad about it and appreciative."Last year, Clemons came to camp weighing 260 pounds, and left camp at 270, adding even more muscle. He plans to play at 272-273 this season.

"I feel the same for the most part, I do feel more power on my bull-rushes," he said.And about that bat photo that went viral ... and the budding Cult of Clemons that has been growing organically among Jets fans."I just be me, and if you like it, you like it, if you don't, you don't," he said. "I just do me. I don't really think about it too much. It is what it is."

So, what's the bat all about? For Clemons, a fan of the TV show "The Walking Dead," it's a bit of a homage to villainous character, Negan. And although Negan named his bat "Lucille," Clemons' barbed-wire bat remains nameless -- at least to the world outside the Jets' locker room.

 video  >>  https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-d-lineman-micheal-clemons-wants-to-show-he-s-a-monster

[jtomm]

On 7/12/2023 at 9:10 AM, The Crusher said:

I have dissapoint. I thought this thread was an interview witClemons asking him what the Jets defense secret weapon is. Was looking forward to a one word answer exactly the same as his favorite villian. 

[More Cowbell]

On 7/12/2023 at 9:46 AM, slats said:

If he hasn’t lost too much speed with the increase in size, he’s going to be a monster this season. My expectation is that he’s going to be playing inside a lot, maybe just changing his position to DT. Imagine you’re facing QW all day, he finally takes a breather, and now you have to deal with Clemens? Long day for that guy. But with Lawson, Johnson, Huff, McDonald, and JFM moving inside and out, it’s the DT spot I see Clemens filling more often than not in this year’s rotation. 

I would leave him on the outside if he was stopping the run. That was not a strong point for the D. Why move him inside when we have Q in there.