5 plays that show why Jamal Adams is such a destructive pass rusher

Jamal Adams is changing the safety position. These five plays showcase why. Jamal Adams has redefined the limits of what an NFL safety can do as a pass rusher. After setting a new record for the position with 18 pressures in 2018 (since the stat was first tracked in 2006), Adams came out and clobbered that record with 23 pressures in 2019 - even while missing two games. Of the 352 players (at any position) with at least 50 pass rush snaps in 2019, nobody created pressure at a higher rate than Adams (25.6%), who picked up his 23 pressures over just 90 opportunities. What makes Adams so special in this phase is that he has legitimate rushing skills. Any defensive back can get home if their coach sends them at the right time. Adams is able to go beyond what is schemed up for him through his package of pure pass-rush traits that few DBs in league history have boasted. It's a combination of both mental and physical proficiency that makes Adams an unstoppable force. Adams times the snap well, knows how to masquerade his intentions, and takes crisp/efficient routes to the quarterback. Physically, he can power through tight ends or running backs, can win with speed and quickness, has the motor to chase down from the backside, and even shows off some finesse moves. Let's dig into five tremendous plays that exemplify what sets Adams apart as a pass rusher. Hesitation move vs. Redskins (Finesse) Most defensive backs have very little polish to their pass rushing game. They usually run as fast as they can towards the pocket and hope for the best, lacking the ability to defeat blockers in any way. Adams is a different breed. He has all of the tools necessary to evade obstacles and reach his destination. On this play, Adams uses a subtle hesitation that forces the left tackle (Donald Penn) to open up, freeing himself to get around the corner and bring down Dwayne Haskins. Also take note of how Adams dips his inside shoulder to bend the edge and avoid the tackle's punch, sealing his victory. Safeties are not supposed to have those weapons in their arsenal. Manhandling of Saquon Barkley (Power) Adams had one of the best individual defensive performances of the 2019 season against the Giants, highlighted by two strip-sacks of Daniel Jones in which he destroyed Saquon Barkley. The second of the two was downright rude. Adams shows how much of a mismatch he is against a running back in a 1-on-1 situation. He lowers his center of gravity and gets his inside arm into Barkley's chest (who foolishly lowers his head) to blast him back, then reworking his hand up to Barkley's shoulder to toss him out of the way. Adams snatches the ball from Jones and takes it to the house. I mean. . . sheesh! This angle prominently showcases how dominant that play was. Adams has the raw power to dominate running backs in that fashion on a consistent basis. To boot, he knows how to use it, as evidenced on that play. Rather than recklessly barging through, Adams makes the most of his power with good technique. Another beatdown of Barkley (Snap timing) Adams' first strip-sack on Jones was similarly spectacular. The crux of this one is Adams' snap timing. It's impeccable. Adams begins breaking towards the backfield about two-tenths of a second before the center even begins his snapping motion. Barkley comes across the formation to pick up Adams, but has almost no chance given the perfection of Adams' timing. Adams was already on his way in before any Giant moved a muscle. Barkley tried to stop with Adams with what looked like an odd cross between a cut-block and a tackle, but Adams slipped through, showing some good lower-body strength. He then punched the ball out of Jones' grasp. Barkley was incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time to recover it, or else the Jets may have scored. This is a great display of film study transferring to the field. Adams knew exactly when that ball was going to be snapped and thus got a jump off the line that made his rush un-blockable. Adams is clearly one of the most well-prepared players in the game, always knowing his opponents better than they know themselves. Side-step vs. Raiders (Quickness) We've seen displays of finesse, power, and timing from Adams. Here's an example of him winning with some lateral quickness. Adams sets up Jalen Richard to the outside and gives a hard step upfield coupled with a head fake to sell the speed rush. Richard bites on it, and Adams breaks off that outside foot to slice back inside. Adams uses his inside arm to propel off of Richard's back and swims over with his outside arm, getting home for a hit on Mike Glennon that forces a third down incompletion. Once again - safeties are not supposed to have moves like that in their bag of tricks. Third down pressure vs. Cowboys (Innate feel) The earlier sack against the Giants was an example of Adams winning with pre-snap awareness, but he is also able to wreak havoc with his smarts after the snap. Adams lines up outside of the right tackle. He and Neville Hewitt loop to the offense's left while Leonard Williams and Blake Cashman crash down to free them up. Now, it's Adams and Hewitt versus left guard Connor Williams and Ezekiel Elliott. Dallas should be able to block both defenders. Adams beats the numbers disadvantage with his pure feel for the game. He slows up his rush - essentially hiding behind Hewitt - to coax both Elliott and Williams into picking up Hewitt. Adams then makes a sharp cut outside and gets through to pressure Dak Prescott into a throwaway on third down. There's nothing flashy there - no screaming speed, no brute force, no beautiful move - it's just Adams finding a savvy way to create pressure using his instincts and football IQ. With his unique blend of abilities, Adams has an answer for almost anything thrown at him. He is able to disrupt the quarterback in situations where most other defensive backs would be thwarted without much of a fight. The man is a truly special talent.