In-depth analysis - Jets at Steelers (Preseason Week 2): Defense

Over the course of these past few days, we've been breaking down the performance of every player that took the field in the Jets' preseason game against the Steelers. We'll conclude today with a look at the defense.

Edge Defenders: Bailey Legal

One of the main highlights this week was David Bailey recording his first sack on an excellent rip move, albeit that the guy he beat was the struggling Broderick Jones who right now doesn't look like he'll see the field this season.

Bailey gave up a first down in coverage and ended up on the ground on one running play, but even on that one he helped to bottle the play up so there were no significant negatives. He also had another good outside rush where he almost got to the quarterback.

Making his first appearance, Kingsley Enagbare was the other starter and didn't make any significant contributions although he was credited with one tackle. You could see that he was holding up well on the edge though.

It was interesting that Enagbare and Bailey got the start. Does this mean they are both ahead of Will McDonald in the pecking order? Perhaps not. It may just be that these were the two players it was most important to get as many starters reps as possible for. Another possibility - maybe Enagbare and Bailey are earmarked for the second unit, with McDonald and Joseph Ossai starting. If so, it would make sense to get a look at how they play together.

When McDonald got in, he also gave up a first down in coverage and had a missed arm tackle in the hole, but he had one really good bull rush.

Someone who, perhaps unexpectedly, needs to be singled out for praise is Braiden McGregor, who has clearly improved over the past few seasons. He was a handful as a pass rusher, showing a variety of moves with good technique including a cross chop, a bull rush and a rip-through. He also drew a holding penalty and had an excellent play against the run where he drove his man back on the edge to force a running play out wide.

Of course, McGregor's contributions went unnoticed because Nate Lynn was arguably the best player on the field. He had two sacks, on a speed rush and a spin move, set up a third sack for a teammate with pressure off the edge, dropped into coverage to disrupt a pass, was in on a run stop with good penetration and had another pressure on a stunt. He even added an impressive tackle on special teams. Lynn had been with the Jets for less than a week but the converted defensive tackle is turning heads.

International pathway player Paschal Ekeji continues to be fascinating to watch. He's not getting overwhelmed by the physicality as rugby converts often are, but he also didn't make much of a direct impact in his 20 snaps.

He did flash once though. You can see how raw he is on this rush, and he fails to fully keep his balance to convert the pressure, but he's a handful for two guys here, so in terms of being a physical specimen, there is something there.

Unlike many of the third unit players, Ekeji is well worth paying attention to because his status as an IPPP effectively guarantees the Jets can retain him on the practice squad with no financial or roster limit consequences. Unless he was to quit or was completely out of his depth, that's a no-brainer. So far, the latter has not been true, so if he has started to show something already then maybe he can progress a lot by next year.

Finally, undrafted rookie Nathan Voorhis had a couple of pressures, flushing the quarterback from the pocket on one play, but missed a tackle too. He's since been waived/injured.

DNP: Joseph Ossai, Tyler Baron

Interior Defensive Line: Nothing Else Onyemata's

David Onyemata and Harrison Phillips got the start again on the interior. Phillips had a nice tackle for loss, but did miss a tackle in the hole. Onyemata, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling to hold up at the point of attack, which was reflected in a poor grade from analysis sites such as PFF and other sites which use PFF's grades.

Admittedly on one play, he was driven back several yards by a double-team. However, that run went basically nowhere. Otherwise, this wasn't as alarming as it first seemed. One play summed this up as Onyemata took on a double team, gave up ground so he was initially driven back 4-5 yards but then fought it off and pushed forwards again so he could get in on a stop for a short gain. Sheldon Richardson used to be good at this stuff.

Where he was unable to stand his ground completely against a double-team, Onyemata clearly was keeping his head up and alert to what was going on so he could leverage himself into the path of the ball carrier to contribute to bottling runs up. A less experienced player in the same situation will always panic, try to get off the block on one side and just end up getting sealed off.

The Steelers' longest rush of the first half was just six yards so it would be overreacting to be concerned about any aspect of the run defense right now. Hopefully, Onyemata's experience will contribute where it counts - in the success of the overall unit rather than his individual grade.

It's difficult to understand the Jets' thinking with Jowon Briggs though. They've continued to use him as the backup nose tackle in between Phillips and Onyemata when they go to an odd man front and the 313-pounder seems miscast in that role. He was really struggling to hold up to double teams too, which is more important when you're the nose tackle, and wasn't recovering ground in the same way Onyemata had.

Making this even more confusing, when he wasn't used as a nose tackle, he showed some of the flashes that made him one of the biggest defensive bright spots on last year's team. He had a terrific bull rush for a pressure and hustled laterally down the line of scrimmage to make a tremendous run stop. Perhaps when T'Vondre Sweat returns, Briggs will be used in a role more tailored to his strengths.

If Sweat is healthy and can be as good as advertised, he should make a huge difference to how stout the Jets are up the middle which is a completely original thought that nobody else of any repute has ever considered.

Moving onto some of the backups, Payton Page is a guy who continues to impress with his disruptiveness. Here's a guy who is big and strong, which they all are, but he really makes the most of it. In that sense, he is reminiscent of Mike Pennel.

His game still needs a bit of refinement and he was controlled at the point of attack a couple of times, but he certainly throws his weight around. He almost capped his night with a big sack on the last play but the quarterback escaped his clutches and threw a fourth down incompletion. He did flash dominance on this rush though.

Rookie Darrell Jackson was disappointingly quiet this week. He got sealed off on one run and driven back on another. That short time on the sideline due to injury perhaps set him back and he looks like the kind of guy who will be a healthy scratch to start the year.

While he only played on the third unit, Mazi Smith warrants a mention. He did literally nothing in his brief appearances with the Jets last season, but put some positive things on film here with a couple of nice plays against the run, showing the ability to shed a block on one play and to work downhill on this one:

Smith still faces an uphill climb unless he can move up to the second unit and flash dominance in the final preseason game but at least he's showing something. You can't help but think Karl Dunbar has helped all these guys.

The other interior guys to get reps were Junior Tafuna and Jack Heflin. Tafuna bottled up a run and had a late pressure while Heflin was in on stop near the line and got close to the quarterback on a couple of rushes.

DNP: T'Vondre Sweat

Linebackers: Sher Thing

Demario Davis and Jamien Sherwood looked pretty good together this week although the Steelers still moved the ball quite well on their third drive (with both in) and fourth drive (with Sherwood in for most of it) before each drive ended on an interception in Jets territory.

So, there's still a few things that may need tightening up. Davis had a nice hit on a short pass underneath, though and Sherwood made a good run stop on the edge.

In Sherwood's case, he has Bailey to thank for sparing his blushes, though. On the play where Bailey registered that sack, Sherwood had allowed a receiver to get behind him and a deep ball, if thrown, might have led to a long touchdown.

Marcelino McCrary-Ball also saw action and was in on a play in the flat, but blocked off on a screen pass.

The only other two healthy linebackers were Jaden Keller and Chase Wilson who made the most of a chance for some extended playing time.

Wilson had six tackles, a sack and a pass breakup, as well as another pressure near the end of the game. Keller had four tackles and a pass breakup on an athletic deep drop down the middle. He was also arguably unlucky not to split Wilson's sack with him because he was right there too.

DNP: Kiko Mauigoa, Mykal Walker

Cornerbacks: Tre Bien

Azareye'h Thomas, Jarvis Brownlee and Brandon Stephens worked with the starters again this week. Brownlee was in good position on a third down incompletion and Stephens had a nice pass breakup and a run stop. Thomas, however, gave up a first down in coverage and Stephens also could have allowed a first down but the receiver landed just out of bounds.

The backups have been performing well, though, even with last week's star Mory Bamba unable to dress.

Tre Brown continues to impress as he's given up just 22 yards on eight targets in over 80 snaps this preseason. He broke up one pass and disrupted another, while also being in tight coverage on an incompletion to the end zone and making three nice open field tackles including this one.

The lone negatives on Brown were that he might have been lucky to get away with a grab on one of his targets and also allowed separation on another incompletion where the throw was off-target.

Samuel Womack of course made a splash with a nice interception which basically saw him run the route for the receiver on a crosser. He also had good coverage on a late overthrow.

Jordan Clark worked in the slot where he also had a nice pass breakup and stopped a screen pass for a short gain. He also had a good open field tackle on an outside run but if we're being over-critical, he almost lost contain on that one and the league's better running backs would probably have been able to turn the corner on him.

Finally, Keenan Garber, who - like Lynn - had been with the Jets for less than a week, ended up leading them with 45 defensive snaps. He made one good play in the flat but did give up two late first downs on downfield throws. One of those was blanket coverage and fitted into a tight window though.

DNP: Qwan'tez Stiggers, Nahshon Wright, D'Angelo Ponds

Safeties: Answering the Belt

Andre Cisco made all the headlines this week as he was the first Jets player to intercept a pass since last preseason. This was a nice play where (Jordan) Clark passed his man off to Cisco in coverage and he jumped the route, although it probably owed as much to bad quarterback play as it did good defense.

Cisco had dropped onto the second unit with Dane Belton given his chance to start. Belton made two nice run stops near the line, showing us examples of the kinds of plays he's been making regularly in practice. The only negative was a first down where he was too deep, although this actually may have been a breakdown in communication between Stephens and Brownlee who both ended up covering the same guy in the flat.

Minkah Fitzpatrick of course also made the start but his influence was minimal as he assisted on one tackle and almost got home on a blitz.

Malachi Moore continues to not be in the mix. He gave up a first down in coverage but made a good open field tackle underneath.

Finally, Jarius Monroe and Dean Clark got work on the third unit. Monroe had one run stop near the line and a pressure on a blitz as he rocked the running back, but he also had a negative as a receiver got behind him for a 38-yard deep catch.

Clark didn't make much of an impact but was able to break up a late pass with a big hit as the receiver juggled it.

DNP: VJ Payne

We'll be back to cover the defense tomorrow...