Texas A&M product Kenyon Green features the versatility that would fit the New York Jets offensive line perfectly.
Joe Douglas, along with many New York Jets fans, want to build a wall around Zach Wilson.
Douglas has already poured plenty of assets into fixing the offensive line. In addition to utilizing two first-round picks up front—filling a tackle and guard spot with Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker—the boss in Florham Park, NJ also signed two free agents to help the cause (Connor McGovern and Laken Tomlinson).
After the math is completed pre-free agency 2022, one position remained: the right guard spot. As previously mentioned, the Jets signed Tomlinson to fill in at left guard, which forces Vera-Tucker to make the switch to right guard.
The full Kenyon Green film breakdown can be seen at the bottom of this article (over an hour in length).
Essentially, on paper, each of the five offensive line spots is filled.
Naturally, however, football is never played on paper. The Jets could still use depth, versatility and potential starters for years to come.
Enter Kenyon Green, a kid who played all over Texas A&M’s offensive line. The kid who’s rumored to get drafted in the late first round or maybe even early second may not possess the ability to fill in at left tackle immediately, but he absolutely has the goods to play guard at the NFL level.
- Where does he slot in best?
- Could he legitimately play both guard and tackle at the NFL level?
- Is he a slam-dunk as a second-round prospect?
All of those questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Blewett’s Blitz. The full Kenyon Green film breakdown can be seen at the bottom of this article (over an hour in length).
YouTube clip and podcast episode
Strengths
- Good size at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds
- Doesn’t chase blocks in pass pro
- Loose for size
- Core Strength
- Strong base
- Short area quickness
- Versatile as he played OG and OT (7-LG, 1-LT, 2-RG, 2-RT)
- Plays with good leverage
- Anchor
- Rolls hips in blocks
- Lateral movement for size
- Strong punch
- Grip strength
- Plays with wide base
- Stays tight, helps with picking up stunts and blitzes
- Doesn’t chase blocks in pass pro
- Timing coming off of combo blocks
- Stays square to LOS on combos
- Maintains good base when run blocks
- Consistently works off inn-steps
- Takes good angles on first level in run game
- Controlled steps in run game
- Active drag hand
- Plays with hands-on guard
- Power steps
- Doesn’t get feet crossed often
- Strong latch
- Handles blitz well
- Smart, knows protections
- Patient feet
- Seems to be more confident with hands playing guard
- Pulls well
- Quick to drop hips and engage
Weaknesses
- Hands land high and wide (when playing OT)
- Has some forward lean in run game
- Feet can be clunky in vertical sets (OT)
- Needs to reset hands more
- Needs to land hand better on down/combo blocks
- Needs to bring feet him more consisntely in run blocks
- Some bend from hips in run game
- Not able to maintain blocks at times because of hand placement
- Too often relies on hug tech as OT
- Hands shoot from low in run game
- Can be splashed because of low hands
- Want to see him trap/chop more often
- Didn’t see him vs many stunts
- Can he perform in an outside zone system?
- Movement on d-lineman can stall because he doesn’t attack center of gravity
- Can labor a bit in vertical sets
- Needs to add alternating punches or change punch type while playing guard
- Could have more active eyes in pass pro, can commit too early to plow/hammer
One thing that concerns me with Green is something that I read about why he choose his school. He went to a school where he did to play because of a coach (quote below). I may be over reading into it, but sounds like Green needs discipline and coaches on top of him where Saleh treats players like professionals and men. That being said, I’m sure we have hard nosed coaches but like I said, I could be reading between the lines too much.
“Coach Turner is a hard-nosed coach,” Kenyon said. “He’s a military style coach, and I like that. I can’t have a coach that’s nice to me, and I have never had that. I’m glad that I got a chance to know coach Turner more.”