Why Lorenzo Mauldin Is New York Jets' Best Bet at Outside Linebacker
It's time for some new blood for the New York Jets.
That means moving on from the likes of Calvin Pace and moving forward to the likes of Lorenzo Mauldin.
Yes, the two players share a similar skill set, but the 22-year-old Mauldin has a much brighter future than the 34-year-old Pace. Mauldin—a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft—may not be a dynamic pass-rusher off the edge, but he is effective in that role despite only notching 20.5 sacks in his three-year career at Louisville.
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Jets head coach Todd Bowles has more talent on the defensive line in New York than he ever had as defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, and while that might be the case at times, the outside linebackers will always play a key role in creating pressure on the quarterback in the 3-4.
They are oftentimes the fourth rusher, the edge presence much like a 4-3 defensive end, but are also asked to drop into coverage from time to time as well.
With experience as both a 4-3 end and a 3-4 rush linebacker, Mauldin has the full range of skills he'll need to fill that role.
At 6'4" and 259 pounds, Mauldin has the burst to cross the face of tackles and the quickness to get past them with a wide range of pass-rushing moves. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Mauldin's effective moves and football intelligence as the keys to his transition to the NFL:
"Arm over can make tackles look foolish in pass rush. Productive and active against the run. Has good awareness and will get hands in the passing lanes when his rush stalls out. Straight-line burst upfield to quarterback when he has him in sights. Can stick a foot in the ground and change direction quickly to beat tackles inside.
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Mauldin seems to be handling the transition fairly well so far, and he is already making an impact at practice, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.
Anyone who watched his college tape is not surprised in the least.
Here he is against West Virginia, using a great outside-inside countermove, along with some fine hand technique, to get across the face of the left tackle. A simple flip of his hips and a swipe of his hands allows him to get through the B-gap (between the guard and tackle) to create some pressure on the quarterback.
The pass was complete, but the message was sent: Watch out for Mauldin, because he can generate a pass rush from a number of angles.
He reiterated that message later in the game in a manner that probably brought a grin to Bowles' mug when he saw the play.
That's Mauldin in the white square, rushing from an interior linebacker position. He timed the snap perfectly, going downhill toward the offensive line before the snap and getting into the pads of the offensive lineman immediately after the ball was snapped.
With a little bull rush, combined with a little acceleration, Mauldin was able to push the lineman back while also splitting the fullback trying to chip him in the backfield.
Yes, two men blocked Mauldin on this play, and neither of them could do a good enough job of preventing him from getting pressure. In fact, the lineman held Mauldin, which drew a flag, but the pressure in itself caused an errant pass that was intercepted.
Mauldin was able to do all those different things at the college level. Imagine what he'll be able to do with a little seasoning and a little coaching at the pro level.
Calvin Pace has had a solid career, but Mauldin could soar to even greater heights in an aggressive scheme that could take advantage of the full breadth of his skills.
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