NY Jets 2015 Spotlight: Rontez Miles

Last season with the NY Jets, safety Rontez Miles surprised many with how well he played in situational packages and stepped up when his number was called.

For someone who was given the opportunity of a lifetime, Miles took full advantage of it and made the Jets recognize his ability. When the Jets promoted him onto the main roster, no one knew who he was because he was part of the practice squad but thanks to his efforts, now people have grown to respect his game.

For only playing half of the games this season, he was able to contribute in big moments. Many players including Miles stepped up big because of the injuries the team dealt with during the year. He also had good statistics this season in just playing in nine games as he had 24 combined tackles, 15 total tackles, 9 assistant tackles, and one interception.

Miles deserves a shot to make the active roster come training camps because of all he accomplished in 2015 since it will come to be helpful in deciding his future with the team. Miles will look to come back next season and compete for a roster spot to show everyone the true talents he has.

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There are certain things I think he needs to improve in his game because sometimes he goes for the big hit rather than the wrap-up tackle. The other thing that he does is he over pursues the ball and is beaten down the field.

Those are the type of things will keep on making the organization think if he is mentally prepared to make the leap into playing full time for the Jets.

The best thing that happened for Miles this season was that he was able to learn from a lot of veterans that were around him on the team. Miles was able to learn from Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist. These four players have the experience that could help younger ones improve and possibly become as elite as them down the road.

When the Jets were on the winning streak late in the year, Miles improved his overall coverage skills and put everything together. He also was learning and listening to what the coaches and veteran players were saying as he was trying to pick up everything he could to hone his craft. He also helped in keeping the Jets’ defense being one of the best run stopping teams in the league.

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Miles was a player that grew on many Jets fans because of the type of player he was on the field every single game. If he is able to improve his game and take things from what he learned this season, then I don’t see a reason why he cant start in 2016. He is only going into his third season for the team and is very young, which is important for any franchise.

Overall, Miles has the chance to provide the help and depth the Jets need for their defense because certain positions are thin on the depth chart. It will be interesting to see how he is used next season since his potential is there to be a hidden gem in the making.