The Jets’ run defense up the middle was not good last year, so defensive tackle was considered a major need this offseason.
While they did sign three veteran defensive tackles in free agency – Derrick Nnadi, Jay Tufele, and Bryon Cowart – it was a little surprising to some that they didn’t address the position in the draft.
However, they did add two intriguing undrafted free agents following the draft – Clemson’s Payton Page and West Virginia’s Fatorma Mulbah.
Page, a big-time recruit for Clemson out of Greensboro who picked the Tigers over the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and LSU, had one of the better defensive plays at the Jets’ recent rookie minicamp, shooting into the backfield, stopping a runner for a loss. On this play, you saw Page’s impressive first-step quickness for a 300-pounder, which made him so sought-after coming out of high school. He has some things to work on, but has good raw tools.
Mulbah, whose family came to the United States from Liberia in West Africa, is coming off a terrific final collegiate season, including a career-high 13-tackle outing in the win against Cincinnati. The Harrisburg-native spent a couple of years at Penn State before transferring to Morgantown. An extremely bright man with two degrees, he will have no issue quickly picking up the Jets’ playbook.
Don’t be shocked if one of these guys challenges for a roster spot.
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