JETS CAMP COUNTDOWN
As the Jets get close to training camp, I am examining the roster and giving you my top 25 players. Each Tuesday through Saturday, we will reveal another person, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game.
4 LEONARD WILLIAMS
Looking back at 2018: Williams had another solid, but not spectacular, season. Everyone keeps waiting for Williams, the No. 6 overall pick in 2015, to become a dominant force, but it has not happened.
That is not to say Williams did not do many things well last year. He can be disruptive at times and is stout against the run. Opposing offensive coordinators say that having a plan to stop Williams is one of their top priorities when facing the Jets.
Last season, he finished with 42 tackles, five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits and two passes defensed.
The former coaching staff liked to blame Williams’ low sack numbers on him being double-teamed, but that was greatly exaggerated.
Pro Football Focus rated Williams 30th out of 112 interior defensive linemen graded.
Outlook for 2019: The Jets added a new running mate for Williams with first-round pick Quinnen Williams. The duo should give the Jets a strong presence in the middle of the defense.
The Jets are confident that they will get a strong interior pass rusher from the two Williamses, along with Henry Anderson, and that will make up for a lack of a stud edge rusher.
This is a huge season for Williams. The Jets need to make a decision on his future after this year. New general manager Joe Douglas has a few options. He can sign him to a long-term contract. He can franchise-tag him and kick the can down the road. He can franchise-tag him and try to trade him. Or he can let him walk in free agency and hope to get a compensatory pick.
My gut feeling is the Jets will end up signing Williams, unless his demands are outrageous. He is a good enough player that he can be a core member of this defense for years to come. Williams has also been a good citizen as a Jet and is popular with his teammates. Those are the kind of players you build around.
The question will probably be about how much he asks for in a contract. He is not going to get Aaron Donald money (six years, $135 million). I wonder if Douglas might try to get Williams at a reasonable price before the season begins, thinking that if Williams has a huge season, the price will skyrocket. That will be something to keep an eye on.