New York Jets: Grading the 2018 draft class pick by pick
Nathan Shepherd
Who would have thought that the Jets foray into the defensive front was going to be an interior player? I am sure I wasn’t the only one who thought they would look for a player on the edge. But not only did they go for a player on the interior, they went to the small school Fort Hays St.
As we talked about in the reaction post, however, the move makes a lot of sense. Shepherd is huge and will command a lot of double teams. He spends his time in the offensive backfield, but also will make plays that don’t show up in the stats. The double teams will free other players up to make plays. Leonard Williams and others may see an uptick in their stats thanks to the presence of Shepherd.
Even as part of the rotation, he definitely could make a difference by keeping players like Steve McLendon fresh. With edge rushers, tackles and cornerbacks on the board, this may not have filled the biggest need, but it certainly will help. The line is in a rebuild, thanks to Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. That makes it an interesting pick, but not sure if it is the BEST pick.