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New York Jets Leonard Williams On Top 25 Under 25 Years Old List

By Kenneth Teape

December 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams (92) during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. The Jets defeated the 49ers 23-17 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams (92) during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. The Jets defeated the 49ers 23-17 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Jets offensive lineman Leonard Williams landed on Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 25 players under 25 years old.

The New York Jets had a disastrous 2016 season. After winning 10 games and just missing out on the postseason in 2015 the Jets regressed big time in 2016. They finished the season with half the amount of wins, going 5-11.

Pretty much anything that could go wrong went wrong for the Jets this past season. The quarterback position was a disaster and their defense fell flat most of the season. There wasn’t much to celebrate on the team, but one bright spot was defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams, a second-year player out of USC, has cemented himself as the to player on the Jets defense and arguably on the whole roster. The Jets were happy that Williams, whom many believe to be the top prospect in the 2015 draft class, fell into their laps with the No.6 pick.

It was a selection that confused some people, as the Jets already had Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison, and Sheldon Richardson in place on the defensive line. But, Williams was a player they could not pass up on.

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Williams gave the Jets insurance along the defensive line and has lived up to the expectations that come attached to being the No.6 pick. As a result, Pro Football Focus recognized him as one of the top youngsters in the NFL.

Following the regular season, Pro Football Focus compiled a list of the top 25 players in the NFL under the age of 25. Williams landed pretty high on the list, coming in at number six. Here is what Pro Football Focus had to say about Williams.

"Williams has all of a sudden become the best player on a Jets defensive line that was stacked with talent, even if that owes much to the drop in performance from Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. Only Damon Harrison had more defensive stops than the 48 posted by Williams among interior defenders this year, and Williams is five clear of the No.3 player in the league."

The Jets only had that quartet together for one season, as Harrison signed with the New York Giants as a free agent last offseason. Williams received a bigger role as a result and provided excellent production for the Jets.

Unfortunately, not many other people picked up the slack. Williams has proven to be a keeper, but he needs some help on defense. The Jets will aim to add another building block to their defense in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Next: New York Jets: Nolan Rich's 2017 Mock Draft 2.0

If they are able to do that, and Wilkerson returns to form after an injury-plagued and ineffective 2016, the Jets defense could be back on track to becoming a strong unit in the NFL.

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