If the Jets are on the clock with one of their premium draft picks, and a CB and edge-rusher are rated evenly on their value board, which way should they go?
Perhaps you go with the edge-rusher. Why? Well look at this way:
“If you want the secondary to be better, fix the pass rush,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said recently in a conference call with fans.
Also, if you are loaded on the defensive line, you can drop more players into coverage, which also helps out the cover guys because they have more hands on deck to help with double-teams.
“Great quarterbacks are neutralized with a four-man pass rush,” Saleh said. “If you can rush four on even the greatest ones, it’s shown time and time again that great pass rush neutralizes great quarterbacks every time.”
So maybe when it comes to breaking a tie between a cornerback and pass rusher on your board, the tie goes to the pass rusher.
“Unless you can rush, it really doesn’t matter how well you can cover,” said one former NFL GM.
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