As the Jets get close to training camp, I am examining the roster and giving you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game.
No. 17: Brandon Copeland
Last year’s ranking: Unranked
Position: OLB
Age on Opening Day: 28
How acquired: Signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract as a free agent on March 19, 2018
Years left on contract: 1
2019 Salary Cap figure: $1.75 million
Looking back at 2018: Copeland was an afterthought when the Jets signed him last offseason, but he ended up being a key player for them.
Copeland played in all 16 games, starting 10 of them. He was tied for third on the team with five sacks. He had two additional sacks wiped out by penalties. He also had 14 quarterback hits, 35 tackles and two passes defensed.
Copeland ended up being a nice surprise for the Jets in 2018. A career special teams player for the Lions, Copeland showed he could be a reliable starter for the Jets. While he was not spectacular, he was solid.
Pro Football Focus had him as the 51st edge rusher out of the 103 the site graded.
Outlook for 2019: It looked like Copeland might be allowed to walk in free agency by the Jets, but then Anthony Barr reneged on his verbal commitment to the team. That opened the door up for a return by Copeland on another one-year deal.
The Jets have been moving Copeland around this spring. He has been lining up as an off-the-ball linebacker in 4-3 alignments, something he did not do last year. It appears that Gregg Williams has Copeland in his plans as a key piece for the 2019 season.
The pass rush off the edge is viewed as a weakness of the Jets. Copeland can change that if he can increase his production.
The Jets drafted Jachai Polite in the third round out of Florida, but he still looks raw. Copeland should be able to hold off the rookie, but Copeland only needs to look back to his own emergence last year to know that people can surprisingly win jobs in training camp.