Florham Park – “New” Jets linebacker Demario Davis made the same point a couple of times in a press conference last Thursday.
“The first thing for a good defense, foundationally, is you have to stop the run,” Davis said early in his presser.
Then he circled back later.
“You have to stop the run to be an effective defense, and you need guys who can do it,” Davis said.
A guy “who can do it” is defensive tackle David Onyemata, who the Jets signed in the off-season, a former New Orleans Saints teammate of Davis. Onyemata played the last three seasons in Atlanta.
Davis and Onyemata were teammates in New Orleans from 2018-22. In their first three years together, they were part of a high-level defense, on teams that went 13-3, 13-3, and 12-4, respectively.
Davis had a front row seat to watch Onyemata as the inside linebacker playing right behind the defensive tackle.
And Davis feels Onyemata is one of the best run defenders he’s ever played with.
“I’ve played with a lot of guys, but he’s easily one of the top five run defenders I’ve ever played with,” Davis said.
Aside from playing with great technique, Davis feels a key to Onyemata’s success is that he’s “a dawg.”
“When they snap the ball, it’s just [you] and the guy in front of [you], and you need that (dawg) mindset – he’s one of those guys that has it,” Davis said.
The off-season additions of defensive tackle Onyemata, T’Vondre Sweat, and Darrell Jackson should help the Jets improve their interior run defense a great deal.
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