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Athletically, he’s probably different . . .
then what you would be looking for out of a typical NFL 4-3 end prospect.
Jets fourth-round pick Michael Clemons is just different.
His motor is great. He plays like a man possessed. His toughness is off the charts. His arm length is rare for an end, more like an offensive tackle. Arm length is huge when playing on the line, on either side, it allows you to extend your arms to the front of the opponent’s jersey before he can do it to you, helping you win the leverage game.
However, watching him run in space during the spring, he’s a little stiffer athletically than you generally look for in a 4-3.
And with that being said, covering kicks or punts is probably not going to happen much with the player. Watching him in special team drills this spring, I’d pull the plug on that. He can’t break down in space well enough to do this. Watching him in special team drills I’m thinking, “Not his thing. Too much hip stiffness to change directions in the open field.”
So it’s possible he’s inactive at times this season, barring injuries at end. Why? Because if you are going a bring a fourth or fifth defensive to the game on Sunday, they often need to play special teams. That is why Jacob Martin is a perfect backup defensive end. He can spell the starting ends, and also excel on special teams.
None of this should be considered a criticism of Clemons, just pointing out what a different kind of 4-3 end prospect he is. Here is what NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zeirlein wrote about athletic stiffness concerns:
- Tight lower body with short upfield strides.
- Segmented movement is tough on the eyes.
- Lack of bend gets him widened off the mark by kick-out blocks.
- Too upright and stiff, leading to missed tackles.
- Lacking agility to thrive in twisting fronts.
However, with all this being said, he’s a really good football player.
So this is one of those situations where you ignore some of the athletic concerns, and let him go out there and do his thing.
One thing he should help the Jets with a great deal is setting the edge against the run, something they struggled with last year, with too many runners getting outside on them, which is something you obviously want to avoid on defense.
And while it doesn’t always look pretty, his take-no-prisoners playing style, while it might always lead to him getting the sack, he does a nice job of tying up offensive linemen, so others can.
Really interesting, different kind of defensive end prospect.
He might look more like a 3-4 end prospect to some scouts because of his ability to tie up two blockers with his long arms and brute strength to let linebackers make plays.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how this turns out because doesn’t fit the typical template for the position of a 4-3 end.
But you know what, that is what rounds like the fourth round are about – taking flyers on prospects with a lot of potential and seeing if it works out.
June 23, 2022
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