New York Jets Draft Profile: Edge rusher Kemoko Turay

Head Coach Todd Bowles(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Head Coach Todd Bowles(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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A profile of potential New York Jets draft pick, Kemoko  Turay.

To make his scheme work with the New York Jets, Todd Bowles needs to get a pass rush. Both from the front seven and on the blitz, the Jets defense has to be able to get to the quarterback. If the opposing quarterback has time to stand in the pocket the Jets will get picked apart, no matter how good the secondary is. It’s a problem that the team has been trying to fix for what feels like centuries.

Everybody knows that the Jets will not be taking an edge rusher with the third overall pick. That is where they will be attempting to take care of the other problem that has gone on for centuries. So that means were are on to the middle rounds to look for an edge rusher. Today’s preview is a potential candidate for that role. We take a look at Kemoko Turay, edge rusher out of Rutgers.

Let’s start with the stats:

TacklesDef IntFumbles
YearSchoolConfClassPosGSoloAstTotLossSkIntYdsAvgTDPDFRYdsTDFF
*2014RutgersBig TenFRDE11159248.07.5000100
2015RutgersBig TenSODE88193.02.0100.00202610
2016RutgersBig TenSRDL33032.02.0000000
2017RutgersBig TenSRDL123228606.03.0000120
CareerRutgers58389619.014.5100.00422610

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It’s very likely that Turay would have had bigger numbers if not for his injuries during his school days. As it was he did put up numbers each and every season at Rutgers. Playing for the Jets would keep him at home, as Turay comes from Newark, NJ.

MEASURABLES

HEIGHT: 6-5

WEIGHT: 252 POUNDS

At the NFL Combine, Turay recorded a 4.65 in the forty yard dash, which isn’t elite straight line speed. We all know that straight line speed is not necessarily going to tell the story of a player’s game speed.

Let’s see what we think as we head over to the video room and study Kemoko Turay:

Next: Looking back at the career of #74

It’s very encouraging to see a guy like Turay have experience both rushing the passer and dropping back into coverage. Not all players get to do that in college and that will serve him well. I like his twitch off the snap, he gets a great first step. He also uses his hands well.

He can be tight in the hips, more noticeably to me when he drops into coverage. For Jets fans, he looked a bit like Demario Davis in coverage, the first time around. He also, like many other young edge players, needs to develop more moves. When he is blocked, he has a tough time countering. Turay and can be ushered out of the way easily at times.

But as a project, Turay has a lot of the physical tools. He would be worth a day three investment.