Is Lorenzo Mauldin Ready to Unseat Calvin Pace as New York Jets' Starting OLB?

The future. It waits for us at every turn, bearing unexpected surprises and answering unanswered questions. But where questions beget answers, answers sometimes beget new questions, and where the future will become the present, there will always be a new future awaiting.

The New York Jets thought they had their future sorted out when they selected outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin with their third-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft. It turns out they may, indeed, know the direction of that position for the future, but when that future will come about is what remains a mystery.

Veteran outside linebacker Calvin Pace has been a starting outside linebacker for the past eight seasons for the Jets. For now, it appears Mauldin won't be pushing him for that spot as a rookie. 

"That's way too early," head coach Todd Bowles said. "I mean, heck, Calvin's played it. Calvin knows it inside and out. Calvin's our starting outside linebacker." 

That comes as a surprise to those who felt the Jets needed to begin moving in a new direction at outside linebacker as soon as possible. Pace has way more experience than Mauldin, but Mauldin's long-term potential is significantly higher (and longer) than the 34-year-old Pace. Mauldin won't get the experience playing outside linebacker unless he, well, plays. 

"He's got a motor," Bowles said of Mauldin. "But he's got a lot to learn mentally, as far as blocks and setting himself up and those types of things. Recognizing screens. But he's got a live motor, and that's impressive." 

Make no mistake; the coaches see a world of potential in Mauldin. The rookie out of Louisville has the traits you'd expect of a young outside linebacker, but he can't match up mentally with Pace yet.

He may not have the experience of a cagey veteran, but he does have the athleticism of a young buck. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler used the word "quick" to describe Mauldin on four separate occasions in a pre-draft scouting report.

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Quick-footed with lower-body agility and burst in space. Clean footwork and solid change of direction skills as a stand-up defender. Smooth strides off the edge to hit his top speed quickly, occasionally showing the ability to dip and bend. Quick trigger and get-off to aggressively attack gaps. Physical hand use and an improved punch. Trusts his vision with quick reflexes to react to the action, reading plays well to get his hands up and obstruct passing lanes (7 pass break-ups the past two seasons).

"

As a pass-rusher, Pace has never been a top-notch 3-4 outside linebacker. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Pace has not been among the top 20 pass-rushing 3-4 outside linebackers in any year since at least 2010. 

Mauldin will certainly be making an impact in those situations when the Jets need a little extra athleticism in their pass rush: 3rd-and-long, protecting a late-game lead etc. If only that were the entirety of his job description; he would be ready to start at strong-side linebacker right away. 

Of course, that's not the case.

According to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media, Mauldin was told by Jets outside linebacker coach Mark Collins that the rookie would be playing strong-side linebacker in addition to the weak-side ("rush") linebacker spot. This means in addition to getting after the quarterback and setting the edge against the run, Mauldin would also have to learn how to drop into coverage.

You may be asking yourself why?

"Yeah, I asked myself that question, too," Mauldin said of his reaction to Collins' news. "My strength is to rush. Why drop back into more coverage?" 

Mauldin's pass-rushing ability will make him a star in the Jets defense, but his contributions at the rush linebacker spot are just a bonus for right now. If the Jets see Mauldin as their strong-side linebacker of the future, he'll have to learn that position. It could take some time, given the fact he must not only learn all the calls in the front seven, but he must also be in communication with the defensive backs on coverage calls. 

With time, Mauldin will learn all there is to know about playing strong-side linebacker in the Jets defense. But that time will not come until Mauldin gets a real opportunity to earn meaningful playing time.

Until then, we're looking into the future, hoping the answers wait for us there.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.