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I personally think the Jets hit this one out of the park.
There is no question North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples underachieved a little as a senior at UNC, but so did the entire program.
In late July, the Tar Heels’ head coach, Butch Davis, was fired after a few scandals. They played the 2012 season under an interim coach and went 7-5. Coples was probably ticked at himself for not leaving school early.
He was accused of having a hot-and-cold motor in 2011, and perhaps that is true, but he probably didn’t even want to be in Chapel Hill anymore, and was trying not to get hurt, with the NFL on the horizon.
Was this an immature mindset? Of course it was, but we are talking about a 21-year-old kid. He didn’t handle the situation well, but it looks like he got the message – he slipped in the draft because of the motor issues, and had to hear about non-stop over the last few months, from draft analysts, and during team interviews.
He’s sick of hearing about it, and this will serve as a great motivator.
I would be absolutely shocked if he has any motor issues with the Jets. He didn’t before last season, and he just let himself get pulled down by the malaise in Chapel Hill. Before the draft, Rex Ryan promised him he would pick him at 16, and he was true to his word. Reading the tea leaves, the kid doesn’t want to let him down.
And there is another perspective to the “motor” issues. He’s 6-6, 284 pounds and a long-strider. Remember how people in New York used to criticize Darryl Strawberry for not always running hard? But his supporters would say, “that is just his gait as a long-strider. It might look like loafing, but that is how he runs.” That might be part of the situation with Coples.
One NFL scout told ESPN’s Chris Berman – “Is Coples a low-intensity player or is he just smooth?”
Rex is a very good judge of defensive linemen. He was a long-time defensive line coach, and he knows what he is looking for. He loves this kid’s potential.
How many players Coples size run 4.71?
There were Julius Peppers comparisons at UNC. That might be a little much, but the mere fact that program observers were throwing that out there, shows you how good this kid is at times.
Coples best position is 3-4 end, and that is how the Jets are going to use him.
To get a guy with these kind of natural gifts at 16 represents great value.
Mo Wilkerson and Coples have the potential to emerge as the best 3-4 end combo in football.
I think the Jets did a heck of a job with this selection.
“Coples is a super-talented kid who has the height, the quickness and wingspan you covet,” said Mel Kiper. “Coples is one of those guys who can be as good as he wants. He can be an excellent defensive end if he focuses at the task at hand and maximizes all of his impressive natural ability.”
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