THE COUNTDOWN
Cornerback Poole is No. 13 on News’ list of key Jets for 2020 season
The 2020 Jets hope to kick off the new decade by snapping a nine-year playoff drought.
There was plenty of roster turnover this offseason, but the question remains: Does new necessarily mean better?
Tom Brady’s departure ostensibly gives hope to the rest of the AFC East, but will the Jets be the team to knock the Patriots off their perch as division rulers?
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.
This list is made up of the players who I believe will have the greatest impact for Adam Gase’s team this season. The ranking isn’t simply based on a player’s resume. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
So, we’re peering into our crystal ball and taking some leaps of faith. There’s some quality young talent on Gang Green’s roster. Some of those guys are poised to take their games to the next level.
Get ready for some surprises.
NO. 13: BRIAN POOLE
● 2019 ranking: Unranked
● Position: Cornerback
● Age at the start of the season: 27
● 2020 salary cap charge: $4.94 million
● Contract status: Signed a one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason
● 2019 Season in Review: Poole brought an element of nastiness to Gregg Williams’ defense after three seasons in Atlanta. The veteran allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap in the slot (.53) among 32 qualifiers last season, according to jetsxfactor.com.
Moreover, Poole’s .57 yards per coverage snap (regardless of deployment) ranked second among 92 qualifying corners behind San Francisco’s Richard Sherman. Opposing quarterbacks had a 71.6 passer rating when throwing in Poole’s direction (17th best), according to Pro Football Focus.
Poole’s coverage, however, was only part of the story. He provided a muchneeded aggressive edge to the unit. Poole finished with 59 combined tackles, five passes defensed, five quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a pick-six in 14 games. He missed a pair of games due to a concussion.
“Brian is very instinctive,” defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson said. “He’s a natural football player. He has a good grasp of the game. He understands concepts. He’s not a repeat-mistake offender. You tell him once and he gets it. Then, when he goes out there, he plays fast. He has a chip on his shoulder. He practices like he has something to prove.”
● 2020 Outlook: Poole, who played 68% of the defensive snaps (most among Williams’ corners) last season, should be a versatile piece to the puzzle again. His blitzing prowess is ideal in Gang Green’s scheme.
His discipline also didn’t go unnoticed. Poole was flagged just three times last year. Two of those three penalties were declined. In the end, Poole officially committed one penalty for a grand total of two yards.
He was one of the few dependable players on a back end that was seemingly patched together with scotch tape due to injuries and ineffectiveness by others.
Poole should have plenty of motivation after signing his second consecutive one-year prove-it deal.
“I feel like (this defense) fits my skill set well,” Poole said. “So, I’m definitely excited about going into my second year in New York. It’s a system that I can really just play. There aren’t a lot of rules. I feel like that style of play really fits my game well.”
NEXT ON THE COUNTDOWN:
The ultimate enigma.