Between now and preseason, we’ll be breaking down the Jets’ undrafted rookies. Nevertheless, we’re taking take a break from that as a result of the Jets simply made one other veteran addition. At the moment, we break down former Bears and Packers security Adrian Amos intimately.

The 30-year outdated Amos is listed at 6’0” and 218 kilos and has been a productive participant in his NFL profession up to now. He’s began not less than 10 video games in every of his eight professional seasons and 122 total. Throughout that point, he’s racked up over 500 tackles, six sacks and 10 interceptions. He’s additionally recorded one other three interceptions within the postseason.

Background

Amos was a three-star highschool recruit who started his faculty profession at Penn State as a cornerback. Throughout his first season in 2011, he solely had 13 tackles in a reserve function, however did intercept one go and broke up 4 others. His function elevated in his sophomore season, as he had 44 tackles and two interceptions. He earned all-Large Ten Honorable Point out honors for the primary time.

In 2013 and 2014 he began at security and was once more named as an all-conference honorable point out in annually. He had career-highs of fifty tackles, 4 tackles for loss and a couple of.5 sacks in 2013 and set profession marks with three interceptions and 6 go breakups as a senior. In all, he had 148 tackles, seven interceptions, 15 go break-ups and three sacks.

Amos was a projected mid-round choice however his inventory rose throughout the pre-draft course of as he turned heads on the Senior Bowl and scouting mix. Some specialists felt he is likely to be a day two decide. Nevertheless, Amos lasted within the fifth spherical, the place he was chosen by the Bears.

He made an instantaneous affect in Chicago, successful a beginning function and beginning each recreation as a rookie and 14 extra video games in his second season.

In 2017, he misplaced his beginning function to Eddie Jackson however nonetheless ended up beginning 10 video games and intercepting the primary go of his profession, which he returned for a 90-yard rating. Amos then began each recreation with Jackson as his counterpart in 2018 and had one other two interceptions.

Amos signed for Inexperienced Bay in 2019 and has began all 66 video games for them over the previous 4 seasons. All through that point, he continued to replenish the stat sheet. He had seven interceptions and 4 sacks in 4 years with the Packers.

In 2022, Amos set career-high marks with 102 tackles and 7 tackles for loss, however the Packers opted to not re-sign him and the Jets made a transfer for him final week after Chuck Clark suffered a critical knee damage.

Now let’s check out what Amos brings to the desk, divided into classes.

Measurables/Athleticism

Amos has good measurement and size. He didn’t do a full exercise on the scouting mix however posted wonderful explosiveness numbers and an elite quick shuttle. Nevertheless, his three-cone drill was poor and he ran a disappointing 4.56 within the 40-yard sprint.

At his professional day, Amos dispelled any pace considerations by operating sub-4.4 and likewise posted a formidable 21 bench press reps. Now that he has turned 30, it’s cheap to ask if he’s misplaced a step however he nonetheless can exhibit good burst to the ball.

Utilization

Amos has performed each as a free security and a powerful security with expertise in all of the roles that each entail. He started his NFL profession as a free security, however then initially moved to sturdy security when Jackson turned the beginning free security. Nevertheless, in his final yr in Chicago the pair have been kind of interchangeable.

In Inexperienced Bay, he has performed within the field extra usually however nonetheless performed as a deep security as a rule. He was principally paired with Darnell Savage.

In the beginning of his faculty profession and in highschool, Amos had performed as a cornerback earlier than making the swap to security in 2013.

Protection expertise

Amos’ protection numbers over the course of his profession have been fairly good however he has been overwhelmed for 12 touchdowns over the previous two years and gave up a quarterback ranking of over 120 when focused final season – his highest since 2016.

With that have as a cornerback, Amos’ groups haven’t shied away from utilizing him in direct protection matchups. Nevertheless, bulking as much as play as a security on the NFL stage maybe means he doesn’t transfer round as easily as he used to.

Amos can latch onto protection assignments down the sector and shows good closing and restoration pace.

Ball expertise

Amos has 13 interceptions in his profession, when you embrace postseason video games, though two is probably the most he’s ever had in any common season marketing campaign. He’s additionally been constant by way of breaking apart passes with 39 passes defensed within the final 5 seasons. Nevertheless, he’s by no means had 10 in any season.

Amos can react properly to errors and tipped passes however can also be able to outcompeting a receiver and coming down with the ball.

His positional sense in zone protection is nice, which places him ready to make use of his closing pace, size and timing to make lots of performs on the ball.

Tackling

Amos was by no means a very productive tackler in faculty, with 50 complete tackles being probably the most he ever had in a season. Nevertheless, on the NFL stage he has had not less than 65 each season and his numbers have continued to climb upwards over the course of his profession.

His sort out effectivity has improved over time, as he’s by no means missed greater than 10 in a season. In 2022, he solely missed 4 tackles regardless of averaging eight per season till that time.

Amos can pack a punch with massive hits and likewise shows good closing pace as a tackler however usually does an excellent job of staying below management.

He didn’t document a single pressured fumble in faculty, however does have three pressured fumbles on the NFL stage.

He has been flagged as soon as for tripping on the NFL stage.

Run protection

Scouting studies relationship again to when Amos was drafted point out that he was not a lot of a contributor in run help and unwilling to get too concerned in that side of taking part in the protection place. Amos has proved these considerations false by creating into a wonderful run defender.

Whereas he does good work within the field, he’ll come up aggressively to fill operating lanes even when taking part in deep.

Amos has proven he’s adept at negotiating site visitors and may creep as much as the sting or run blitz up the center with good effectiveness.

Physicality

Amos has developed a repute as an enormous hitter. Nevertheless, what’s notable about a few of his highlights is that his hits are clear and authorized.

He has solely been flagged as soon as in his profession for an unlawful hit. This was a helmet-to-helmet hit on Zach Ertz within the 2018 wild card recreation.

Amos can also be bodily in protection, each by way of slowing down opponents coming off the road and as he competes for the ball. Regardless of this, he has averaged only one protection penalty per season (six go interference calls, one defensive holding and one unlawful contact).

Blitzing

Amos had three sacks in faculty and has six on the NFL stage however doesn’t blitz very a lot. He’s solely had as soon as season the place he averaged a couple of go rush per recreation. His solely sack in 2022 didn’t come on a rush. As a substitute, he was spying the quarterback and got here as much as sort out him for no achieve when he rolled out.

He has generated stress at an honest clip once they do ship him and his burst, energy and ending capability makes him an excellent match for this function.

Particular groups

Amos hadn’t been taking part in a lot particular groups in latest seasons however acquired again onto the kick protection unit in 2022 and got here up with a career-high 5 particular groups stops. He has 14 profession tackles in kick protection.

Other than overlaying kicks, Amos has featured on the kick block unit, in punt safety and on the punt cowl unit both as a vice or speeding punts. He’s additionally had a couple of snaps blocking on the kick return unit. He hasn’t made a lot affect in any of those roles.

Instincts/Intelligence

Amos has labored onerous to enhance his capability to learn and react after pre-draft scouting studies weren’t excessive on his instincts. He did have some unhealthy psychological errors early on in his profession although.

Since that point, he has developed into an excellent communicator who’s considered reliable and sometimes in the appropriate place.

Nowadays Amos appears to be loads quicker in his capability to make a fast learn and assault the ball service.

Angle

Amos grew up in a family along with his father – a police officer – being a strict disciplinarian. This has naturally given Amos some good habits and he’s recognized for an excellent work ethic. The Packers named him as a workforce captain final season.

His on-field self-discipline has been good with solely 11 penalties in common season and postseason motion, however he has been fined twice – as soon as for the aforementioned hit on Ertz and the opposite one on a low block following a turnover.

Accidents

Amos has been extraordinarily reliable over the course of his profession, beginning each recreation over the previous 5 seasons. Actually, 2017 was the one yr when he performed fewer than 900 snaps.

Again in 2016, he needed to have an offseason shoulder surgical procedure, one thing which was described on the time as “greater than a scope”. He additionally has three documented concussions, though he hasn’t missed a lot time from these they usually have been a couple of seasons aside on every event.

Scheme Match

There was already lots of discourse in regards to the Jets’ security place and the way they might align themselves with Clark and Jordan Whitehead each being considered extra like a field security than a protection security. There was some speak that they could possibly be interchangeable and even that they may use another person as a deep security in sure packages and function with three safeties.

If Amos is seen as a direct alternative for Clark, all of this might stay true. Nevertheless, Amos has extra expertise as a deep security than Clark does. Moreover, not like Clark, he appears to have performed a few of his finest soccer when aligned deep. He would possibly subsequently complement Whitehead higher than Clark did and permit the Jets to play extra historically.

One factor that’s attention-grabbing in regards to the Jets’ system particularly is that they apparently performed extra quarters coverages than every other workforce final yr. Clearly they don’t seem to be essentially counting on a single excessive security whereas the opposite one drops into the field.

Amos performed on a Bears workforce which performed lots of cover-2, which once more would imply he’s dropping into protection loads of the time even when he’s the sturdy security. Nevertheless, when he went to Inexperienced Bay, they didn’t play a lot cover-2 and as a substitute favored quarters coverages.

The statistics point out that the Packers struggled badly in quarters protection (rating useless final within the NFL by giving up a 15-yard play 26 % of the time in response to 247 Sports activities) and have been actually good at Cowl-2 (rating first total with no 15-yard performs). They even began to play extra Cowl-2 in direction of the tip of final season. Whereas we can’t say Amos was a foremost purpose behind this discrepancy, it does make you surprise how properly he might match what the Jets would normally do.

One other wrinkle right here is the truth that the Jets have been criticized final yr for not taking part in Cowl-2 in opposition to the Bengals, who had simply misplaced their first two video games with Joe Burrow struggling in opposition to two Cowl-2 heavy groups.

Conclusions

The Jets moved shortly to herald a longtime beginning security with loads of expertise as soon as they acquired the information about Clark’s damage and, very like once they signed Duane Brown final yr following the Mekhi Becton damage, it was about one of the best transfer obtainable to them.

Amos has been an excellent participant through the years however the Jets should hope that the downturn in his protection numbers just isn’t an indication he’s previous his prime as he enters his thirties. The very fact he was nonetheless obtainable in mid-June suggests different groups might have had this similar concern.

As for the way he’s going to suit into the protection, this shouldn’t be a significant concern as each the system and Amos himself are versatile sufficient that he ought to match properly into no matter function they’ve deliberate for him. We might but see a younger security like Tony Adams soar into the combo too, although, so Amos might want to keep on his recreation.