Mehta’s Top 20 Jets Countdown: Williams
behind the eight-ball a little bit.”
Barkley scored two receiving touchdowns and gained 129 all-purpose yards on the Panthers, but Carolina won the game, 33-31, on a Graham Gano 63-yard field goal with one second left.
NORMAN IN PAMPLONA: NO BULL
Everyone in Washington’s front office likely held their breath on Thursday as video surfaced of eccentric top cornerback Josh Norman running — and jumping — with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
Norman, 32, is scheduled to make $14.5 million in 2019 and is a critical piece of Washington’s defense. Five people have been gored by bulls so far at this year’s running, per ESPN.
Norman was not one of them, but presumably Daniel Snyder, Bruce Allen, Jay Gruden and Washington’s brass would rather he not risk it. Video even surfaced of Norman leaping over one bull in the arena.
“I had to face the bull straight on,” Norman said on Instagram. “It was fun. It was worth it. It was really worth it.”
BARKLEY GRANTS A WISH
On Saturday, the first episode in ESPN’s award-winning 14th-annual “My Wish” Series will feature Saquon Barkley and the Giants. They host 14-yearold fan George Taylor, a high school football player from Cohoes, N.Y., who is battling Ewing’s sarcoma.
Taylor is eager to emulate his favorite player, Barkley, who grants the young fan’s wish by making him feel like he’s back in the game. Taylor’s “My Wish” visit with Barkley and the Giants will appear on SportsCenter and as the weekend’s SC Featured segment both Saturday and Sunday.
The 2019 Jets have new uniforms, new coaches and a new general manager, but one familiar question remains after an unexpected shakeup after the draft: Are these the ‘Same Old Jets’? Mike Maccagnan added some quality pieces before getting fired in May, but has this starcrossed franchise done enough to break an eight-year playoff drought?
I’ll be revealing my Top 20 players on the roster every weekday for the next four weeks in the run-up to training camp.
The list is made up of the players who I think will make the most impact for Adam Gase’s team this season. We’re not ranking guys solely based on past accomplishments. Get ready for some surprises with our projections.
No. 6: Quinnen Williams
Last year’s ranking: N/A Position: Defensive lineman
Age at the start of the season: 21 2019 salary cap charge: $5.91 million Contract status: First year of a fouryear, $32.53 million rookie deal (plus a fifth-year team option)
2018 Season in Review:
Williams morphed from rotational backup to superstar for Alabama last season. The 6-3, 303-pounder erupted for eight sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss and 70 stops in his first full season as a starter as a red-shirt sophomore.
“He’s athletic,” Saban said. “So, he’s a really good pass rusher. He’s not a gigantic, huge, overpowering guy, but the rest of it is perfect for this day and age of football … I go back to the initial quickness (and) the use of his hands. This guy is a really smart, instinctive player. I think sometimes people overlook how that impacts someone’s production … and his production here was fabulous.”
Williams led the SEC among interior defenders with 20 tackles for loss or no gain, according to Pro Football Focus. He was the top overall player on many NFL team’s draft boards. The Jets explored trading down to acquire more draft capital before ultimately standing pat and grabbing him with the No. 3 overall pick.
“You combine the technique, you combine the instincts, you combine the athletic ability,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said. “I think he has the parts and pieces to be a really good player.” 2019 Outlook: Williams should be an instant difference maker in the trenches for Gregg Williams, who will move around his newest piece all along the defensive line. So, expect to see the rookie lined up everywhere from nose tackle to three-technique tackle ( just outside the guard) to the edge at times. He’ll create havoc with his athleticism and quickness.
“At Alabama, I played it all,” Williams said. “Like one game, I probably played five, six positions. But this isn’t Alabama. So it’s like, ‘Bro, wherever they put me, I’m going play.’ I’m going to go out there and try to dominate. If they put me in kickoff return, I’m going to go crazy. Put me in anything and I’m going to try to dominate it.”
The rookie’s presence should also make life easier for Leonard Williams too.
“We think we have the ability to have a very stout defense up the middle,” Maccagnan said. “When you have two really good interior rushers, that would really give teams a lot of problems.”
Williams might not be the edge pass rusher that many Jets fans wanted with the team’s first-round pick, but he is talented enough to give opposing offensive coordinator’s headaches for a very long time.
The Jets wisely took a cautious approach with Williams, who was slowed by a calf injury this spring. But expect him to be unleashed when the bullets start flying for real.
Next on the countdown: An explosive player ready to live up to his world of talent.
Countdown Rewind:
No. 20 — C Jonotthan Harrison No. 19 — LB Jachai Polite
No. 18 — WR Quincy Enunwa
No. 17 — LB Jordan Jenkins
No. 16 — RT Brandon Shell
No. 15 — LB Avery Williamson No. 14 — CB Trumaine Johnson No. 13 — LT Kelvin Beachum
No. 12 — S Marcus Maye
No. 11 — WR Jamison Crowder No. 10 — WR Robby Anderson No. 9 — DL Henry Anderson
No. 8 — LG Kelechi Osemele
No. 7 — TE Chris Herndon