The play of the Jets’ starting ends last year, and the cats that spelled them, wasn’t ideal, so that is why they made a beeline for Joseph Ossai (and Kingsley Enagbare) at the beginning of free agency.
Over his first four years in the NFL, Ossai might not have been a star defensive end, but he was a very good rotational player. In 61 NFL games with the Cincinnati Bengals, he had 12 starts.
So you can start him, or he can be your third end, and you will get a solid day’s work. No matter what you ask him to do, start or backup, the high-character Nigerian will give it everything he’s got.
Coming to the United States at 10 from Nigeria, he has nonpareil hunger and drive, and plays every play like it’s his last.
“He plays extremely hard – the effort is outstanding chasing and pursuing,” said former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah.
Don’t expect him to be Myles Garrett or TJ Watt as a pass rusher, but give the Jets perhaps around 5-7 sacks.
The reason he was a third-round pick coming out of Texas, and perhaps the reason the Bengals didn’t re-sign him, is limitations as a pass rusher.
It’s not a lack of effort, but a lack of fip flexion.
Yes, he’s an explosive athlete with 4.62 speed and a 41 1/2 vertical, but he has a little hip stiffness, which makes it challenging for him to bend the edge under tackles.
“He’s just a little bit tight end stiff,” Jeremiah said. “You see it when he gets to the top of his rush – he has a hard time cornering.”
But his motor is so great, he will get effort sacks. He will also allow the Jets to set a harder edge against the run, helping them fix a big problem the last couple of years – runners tacking the corner on them.
He will also improve the Jets’ defensive end rotation for sure. He can start, he can backup, but whatever his role is, he will give you everything he’s got.
