The numbers make it obvious what the New York Jets’ decision should be regarding Jordan Jenkins.
Edge rusher is once again the prime defensive need for the New York Jets as they head into free agency. While they most certainly have their sights set on marquee targets such as Dante Fowler, the Jets will also have to make a decision on the man who has played more career games for them (60) than any other defensive player on the 2019 roster—Jordan Jenkins.
Jenkins has spurred plenty of debate among the fanbase. Some fans are completely fine with letting him skip town. Others view him as a solid player and hope to see him brought back.
When you turn to the data, it becomes obvious which side is correct.
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This guy’s analysis suggests Jenkins is better in pass rush than yours based on the amount of double teams he faced…
https://twitter.com/SethWalder/status/1235949932143575040
It’s a really interesting study but I’m not sure how valid it is. Just from watching the film (and Robby or Joe are more versed on this than me) Jenkins absolutely does not get doubled 30% of the time he rushes. It’s also wild to suggest he gets doubled more than true top rushers like Clowney, Armstead, Quinn, Fowler, or Barrett – players who actually would be near the top of an opposing offense’s list of concerns.
I think that study confuses “double-team” with simply facing two defenders. The Jets ran a ton of stunts and twists last year (and have the past few years) to try and manufacture pressure because they haven’t had quality pass rushers on the edge. This would lead to Jenkins having a lot of reps in which he engages with multiple blockers, but that’s not an actual “double-team.” When we think double-team, we’re picturing the opponent assigning two players to block a particular defender because he is wrecking the game and demands extra attention to be stopped. Few players in the league are good enough to actually warrant those, such as Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. The amount of times teams did that to Jenkins last year could probably be counted on one hand if it even happened at all.
Suggesting that teams double Jenkins 30% of the time against a coordinator in Gregg Williams who is well-known for his blitzing affinity – especially having Jamal Adams on his team and needing to be even more creative to make up for the lack of talent on the edge – makes no sense. Again I think that number is just a result of how often the Jets ran stunts and other creative defensive calls. There has not really been a roadblock in the way of Jenkins’ production. He is just a mediocre producer.