When the New York Jets drafted Auburn safety-turned-linebacker Jamien Sherwood, no one really knew if the young prospect would amount to anything more than a special teams player.
That’s what normally happens for fifth-round picks.
As the years went by, though, Sherwood’s development was impressive. He went from learning a brand-new position to being a quality backup to now one of the highest-paid players at his position.
A big part of that success, though, can be attributed to the leadership in front of him.
With that leadership gone, it’s up to Sherwood to show New York’s updated coaching staff that he remains one of the better linebackers in the game today.
Jamien Sherwood Ready For Bigger Jets Role
Despite the struggles in the win/loss column, the Jets did have some strong leaders on the defensive side of the football in recent years. C.J. Mosley was not just an All-Pro player, but was the de factor leader of the locker room for New York’s defense.
The impact he made on a young player like Sherwood cannot be overstated.
“Without [Mosley], this process for me would not be possible,” Sherwood said at minicamp. “I miss having him in the room.”
Mosley was released by the team after missing most of the 2024 season with a myriad of injuries. In his stead, Sherwood became one of the better sideline-to-sideline linebackers in the game.
The Auburn product put up a career-high 158 tackles (while leading the league with 98 solo), two sacks, three passes defended, and a Pro Football Focus grade of 73.8.
Sherwood was able to use Mosley as a resource last year, considering the linebacker was still part of the team. Now that the veteran is a free agent, Sherwood will need to use what he learned from the veteran to move forward in his career.
And that includes being a leader on the defense like Mosley once was.
Fresh off signing a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason, the Jets have shown their commitment to Sherwood in their new defensive scheme.
One of the reasons why the new coaching staff, led by head coach Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, is so high on Sherwood is their belief that pairing him with All-Pro Quincy Williams can do wonders for their defense.
“The thing that you have to have in this day and time is speed, and they have that,” Wilks said. “That’s the thing that we look for, being able to run sideline to sideline, but still having the physicality to be able to get downhill and get the double teams off.
“It goes back to, again, our weapons; eyes, hands, hips, and feet, and being violent with our strike. Those guys have that.”
Wilks was asked during his press conference about comparing Sherwood to the likes of former Pro Bowler Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panthers. Both Sherwood (6’2″ and 216 pounds) and Davis (6’1″ and 235 pounds) are considered undersized by most linebackers.
The fact that both used their athleticism so well shows that undersized linebackers can still be successful in the modern NFL.
That is what the Jets are counting on. Without Mosley or his previous coaching staff, Sherwood is entering a new role for this team.
And he seems pretty prepared for it as things stand right now.