Time to continue our countdown of the top 5 draft picks in the decade of the 2000s. We began yesterday with our post about Shaun Ellis.  Take a read if you haven’t yet.  Now, on to the fourth biggest draft signing in the 2000′s.”.

DL MOHAMMAD WLERSON

He was a beast last year, wasn’t he?  He was all over the field, and that includes special teams, as had a blocked field goal to his credit.  Mo was so good, there was a late campaign to get him votes to make the 2012 Pro Bowl.  As usual, to analyze the situation a little bit more, we go visit with our friends at Pro Football Focus.

Let’s look at some of what Mohammad did last year.  His 49.1 grade is firmly in second place, far ahead of most of the competition, and only second place to JJ Watt.  That season was so strange, you probably could take it out as something that doesn’t doesn’t really hold water this time around.

Not only was his overall grade good, but Mo actually was terrific on a week to week basis.  Aside from a down game in week 4 and week 12, Mo had only those two games as negatives, posting ratings as high as 7.4, one game with a six rating, and 2 other games with a  5 rating.

Going back to the sacks for a second, remember that Mo really came on in the second half of the season.   He just didn’t really have a good grasp of the defense yet, but around mid season, Mo took off. He was on a pace for 8 sacks, had the season been a complete on with Mo playing like a beast all season.

Pairing him with Quinton Coples was brilliant, as there abilities complement each other well. They will be dominant on the defensive line for years to come.

And that is the reason that Mo Wilkerson was the number 4 best pick of the 2000s.

Over the last several days, we have been talking about reasons that the Jets can return to the playoffs as soon as 2013. We have been discussing why, even though the Jets are rebuilding their roster, they can be back in the “tournament” this upcoming year. So far, we have talked about:

The Offensive Line
Rex Ryan
Marty Mornhinweg
Jeremy Kerley

So that is where we have been so far (click on the links to catch up)

And now, (in classic David Letterman voice), the number one reason the Jets can return to the playoffs in 2013 is………………

THE DEFENSIVE LINE

This group is rapidly becoming a major force on this defense, and they are only going to get better.  They already began reaping the benefits of Karl Dunbar as the position coach, with the emergence of Mo Wilkerson.  You can just look at the stats from our friends at Pro Football Focus to see what I am talking about.  The Jets had three defensive linemen in the top 20 of 3-4 defensive ends, Mo Wilkerson (2), Mike DeVito (10), and Quinton Coples (19).

Wilkerson’s second half run of dominance brought him to PFF rating of 49.1, second only to JJ Watt.  In the second half of the year, he made a run for the Pro Bowl, even blocking a field goal attempt late in the season.  Mo will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.

As will Quinton Coples, who improved vastly as the year went along.  Quinton posted a 4.9 grade in pass rushing, which placed him in the top 10 in pass rushing among 3-4 defensive ends.  His 1.0 grade in pass coverage shows the development of a versatile defensive football player.  He posted a negative grade against the run, but that will get better with experience and more snaps against the run.

Mike DeVito has been a big part of the plans, and so has a healthy Sione Po’uha.  DeVito was in the top 10 as we mentioned before, and Po’uha is always a tough run stopper when healthy.   We probably won’t see Sione back in 2013, and there is a decent chance that Mike DeVito will be gone as well.  However, with Kenrick Ellis and Damon Harrison waiting in the wings, the youth movement will continue to be just fine.

That is why the Jets defensive line will continue to be a force on the Jets.  And that is the number one reason why the Jets can get back to the playoffs in 2013.

I hope you enjoyed the five part series.

Dec 9, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) celebrates sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (not pictured) in the third quarter of their game at EverBank Field. The New York Jets beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

It may be an informal award, but still, recognition is recognition, and “Beast Mo” received some recognition yesterday.

USA Today puts out their own All-Star team, but they do it a little bit differently. If you have been named to the Pro Bowl, you are disqualified from making this team. This is an All-Star team of those other guys, and they call it the “All-Joe” team. Get it, like the average Joes?

They like to represent each team here, and they have done so in a good way with the New York Jets. Our representative is Muhammad Wilkerson, and with good reason. We all experienced first hand how he came on during the second half of the season, and his 69 tackles led all defensive linemen that aren’t named JJ Watt. Pretty impressive for the second year man from Temple.

In case you might be interested, take a look at the entire roster by clicking here.