Scheme fit is a crucial factor to keep in mind when evaluating potential additions to a football team. Let’s run through a trio of likely first-round prospects in the 2022 NFL draft who I think are great fits for the New York Jets‘ defensive scheme.
George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
On one side of their defensive line in Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich‘s 4-3 defense, the Jets have Carl Lawson.
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound Lawson is on the smaller side for a defensive end, but his uber-athleticism for the position makes him a perfect fit for the team’s “Leo” role – essentially a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end who can line up on the edge either with his hands in the dirt or standing up, whose primary responsibility is to rush the quarterback.