DC Steve Wilks collaborating with Aaron Glenn to make Jets more aggressive, physical

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look astatine what's happening astir the New York Jets:

1. Recharged and ready: Steve Wilks went from the San Francisco 49ers to the Charlotte 49ers, from the agleam lights of the Super Bowl signifier to the solitude of a darkened movie country connected a assemblage campus. Quite a travel for the Jets' caller antiaircraft coordinator.

After 1 twelvemonth arsenic the 49ers' coordinator for the 2023 NFL play -- helium was abruptly fired aft their 25-22 overtime nonaccomplishment to the Kansas City Chiefs successful Super Bowl LVIII -- Wilks sat retired 2024 and took a unpaid presumption astatine UNC Charlotte.

He helped retired astatine signifier successful the morning, past watched a batch of portion successful the afternoon. On Mondays, helium devoured NFL tape, studying the erstwhile day's games -- definite teams, schemes, situations, etc. Because of a relationship with present Jets manager Aaron Glenn, helium kept a adjacent oculus connected the Detroit Lions and however the defence performed nether Glenn past season.

The acquisition "really helped maine tremendously," Wilks, 55, said this week successful his archetypal media availability since being hired by Glenn. "It was large to reset and recharge, but [I] learned a batch passim that process and I was acceptable to get backmost into the saddle."

Giddy up.

Wilks inherits a portion with 8 returning starters, including 1 erstwhile Pro Bowl oregon All-Pro subordinate connected each level of the defence -- antiaircraft tackle Quinnen Williams, linebacker Quincy Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Wilks said Gardner and Quinnen Williams are among the champion successful the league astatine their positions, adding that Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood are "two large linebackers."

The Jets finished No. 3 successful yards allowed for the 2nd consecutive year, but anybody who watched them play knows that lofty ranking was wholly deceiving. They were No. 23 successful antiaircraft EPA, a amended reflection of their performance. Like the full team, the defence underachieved.

"They had each the endowment successful the world, but they ne'er played that way," said a longtime NFL coach, who studied the Jets connected tape.

Wilks and Glenn are like-minded successful that they some similar to blitz a lot. It'll beryllium absorbing to spot however they play connected the backmost end. Glenn prefers antheral coverage; statistically, Wilks leans toward zone. He said the defence volition beryllium a "collaboration" of their schemes. Early indication: They volition beryllium much assertive and much carnal than past season.

"It's not truly astir our playbook, it's astir our play style," said Wilks, repeating 1 of Glenn's favourite lines.

Wilks' biggest challenges are integrating cornerback Brandon Stephens and information Andre Cisco into the lineup, sorting retired the crowded antiaircraft tackle situation, processing extent astatine each 3 levels and recapturing the antiaircraft swagger that vanished past season. Wilks, the Arizona Cardinals' caput manager successful 2018, besides tin beryllium a sounding committee for Glenn, a first-timer successful the large chair.

"Sometimes successful that seat, it gets lonely, and you don't person that sounding piece, that idiosyncratic to pass and talk with," Wilks said. "So I'm present for that."

2. Swap city: Quarterback past could beryllium made successful Week 1.

If Aaron Rodgers signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers, arsenic galore expect, the Rodgers-Justin Fields matchup volition beryllium the archetypal season-opening crippled betwixt starting quarterbacks who swapped teams they started for the erstwhile year, per ESPN Research.

3. Lights, camera, hut: When helium was down halfway for the Jets, Rodgers ever attracted a batch of cameras. You inactive spot cameras astatine practice, but present immoderate of them are connected the heads of the quarterbacks.

Each of the 4 quarterbacks are wearing a tiny camera connected their helmet, capturing video and audio that tin beryllium studied later.

Quarterbacks manager Charles London called it "a large learning tool," noting that the microphone allows them to perceive the playcall successful the huddle and the connection astatine the enactment of scrimmage. He said the video helps the backmost retrace his progressions connected each walk play.

"Instead of trying to conjecture -- 'Where did your eyes commencement [on a peculiar play]?' -- we'll spell backmost and ticker it," London said. "You tin spot wherever his eyes started and you tin spot however helium went successful his progression."

They experimented with the cameras successful rookie minicamp and decided to support them for the remainder of the offseason. It's not a wholly extremist concept; years ago, the Jets utilized virtual world exertion to assistance successful signifier and crippled evaluation.

4. Time to get physical: There's a mantra successful the wide receiver room: "No block, nary rock."

The caller unit has placed an accent connected perimeter blocking by the wide receivers, indispensable for explosive plays successful the moving game. The Jets were lacking successful that section past season, arsenic they produced lone 45 rushes of 10 yards oregon more, which ranked 24th.

They can't genuinely sharpen their blocking skills successful the offseason due to the fact that the practices are padless, but they surely person capable size astatine receiver to signifier a bully blocking group. Their biggest bodies beryllium to Allen Lazard (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) and Josh Reynolds (6-3, 192).

They person the aforesaid presumption manager arsenic past play (Shawn Jefferson), but Garrett Wilson acknowledged that the receivers' responsibilities are "a small different" than successful the past. For example, helium said determination mightiness beryllium plays wherever he's required to question retired and artifact a safety.

"These are things that possibly I haven't been asked to do," Wilson said, "but it says a batch astir the culture."

5. Getting real: OTA practices aren't arsenic aggravated arsenic grooming camp, but that doesn't mean Glenn volition judge a lax effort. Wednesday was 1 of those days. He "didn't similar the vigor of the practice," according to Fields.

"After practice, helium told america consecutive up however helium felt," Fields said.

That's the aboriginal connection connected Glenn: He's blunt and direct, nary sugarcoating. Fields called him "one of the realest coaches" he's played for.

6. Eye connected the run: Quinnen Williams said he's trying to amended his play arsenic a tally defender -- specifically, his quality to shed blocks. He acknowledged helium made "a batch of mistakes" past season. In fact, helium ranked 30th successful ESPN's tally halt triumph complaint among interior linemen, down from 12th successful 2023.

One opposing scout said the Jets' tally defence should beryllium amended than past play due to the fact that the strategy volition beryllium much committed to run-stopping than the erstwhile one, which was predicated connected walk rushing.

7. Waiting ...: Second-round prime Mason Taylor inactive hasn't signed his rookie contract, but he's successful the majority. As of Friday, lone 2 of the 32 picks successful the 2nd circular are nether contract. As usual, the magnitude of guaranteed wealth is the superior sticking point. The apical 2 picks successful the round, Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins, reportedly received afloat guaranteed deals -- the first fully-guaranteed contracts for second-round picks.

Taylor was the 10th prime successful the round. He's inactive participating successful offseason practices.

8. Early sleeper: A rookie to ticker is punt returner Jamaal Pritchett, an undrafted escaped cause from South Alabama. He's "doing a phenomenal job," according to peculiar teams coordinator Chris Banjo.

Pritchett is 5-8, 175 pounds, but helium has 4.42-second velocity successful the 40-yard dash. He scored erstwhile past play connected a punt return. Incumbent Xavier Gipson is the favourite to triumph the job, but expect the rookie to propulsion him.

9. Two weeks left: The Jets person 4 much OTA practices (voluntary) scheduled, followed by a mandatory, three-day minicamp the pursuing week. At that point, they volition interruption until grooming campy begins successful precocious July.

10. The Last Word: "I don't enactment excessively overmuch into the workout stuff. We've each seen the workout warriors who can't play a lick of football. [Armand Membou] tin play ball." -- violative enactment manager Steve Heiden connected the Jets' first-round prime who blew up the scouting harvester by moving the 40-yard dash successful 4.91 seconds astatine 332 pounds.