Pearl Jam’
Adams eager to get first real taste of NFL in preseason opener
Jamal Adams has envisioned his first NFL game for years, anticipating for months what it would be like to sprint out of the tunnel onto the field at MetLife Stadium.
The preseason never was part of the equation, but the rookie sees no difference, entering Saturday’s game against the Titans.
The first-round pick out of LSU sounds like he is preparing for Alabama.
“My only mindset is I’m gonna attack you,” Adams said Thursday. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the preseason or I’m playing a game of checkers, I’m out there to win. I’m out there to compete. The end result is about winning. That’s it.
“The emotions are high, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s gonna be exciting. To have an opponent we can hit, I’m looking forward to getting after it and starting the season.”
Despite the historically low expectations for the Jets, optimism remains easy to find on defense — where Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams still will be attacking the opposing quarterback.
Playing behind the trio of former Pro Bowlers, Adams, the sixth-overall pick, sees no reason to be nervous at the start of his first season. He only sees opportunity. “In my opinion, we have one of the best, if not the best D-line group in the league,” Adams said. “We’re very stout up front, and those guys will get after the quarterback and make our jobs easier. ... I love it. I love it, love it, love it. That means balls go up quick. The pressure’s gonna get there.”
Since Mark Sanchez was drafted fifth overall in 2009, the Jets have made nine straight defensive selections in the first round — including Wilkerson, Richardson, Williams and linebacker Darron Lee. Though Adams hasn’t felt any pressure from being the team’s top pick, he appreciates being around so many teammates who have been in a similar situation.
“They just tell me to be myself, and continue to work hard and things will fall in place,” Adams said. “As long as I have those guys around me, and that veteran group, I’ll be fine. I have a tremendous opportunity, as well as the other guys, to come in and make a name for ourselves.”
Like at LSU, Adams will be part of a defense that needs to be dominant, making up for an offense that can’t be counted on. Like at LSU, nearly every series has to end with a shutout.
“You always want to go in and have that goal,” Adams said. “When you put your mind on a goal, it makes you play that much harder than you were. If we’re communicating and locking in every play and every series, we’ll be fine. The sky’s the limit for this defense. The sky’s the limit for this team. As long as we lock in and cancel out the outside noise, we’ll be fine.”
Playing alongside fellow rookie safety Marcus Maye in training camp has convinced Adams the secondary could become just as feared as the Jets’ defensive front.
“He doesn’t get enough credit for all he can do on the field,” Adams said of the second-round pick. “I wish everybody would give him a little more than what he gets, but him not being drafted higher than me, I got a little bit more [attention], but it shouldn’t be that way because he’s an outstanding player.”
So, too, was Adams, at LSU. Now, the potential franchise safety can show the Jets what he can do.
“When the season comes around, I want to take another step up,” Adams said. “I’m very comfortable, but there are still a lot of steps that I want to take to get better.”