Jets get it right with drafting Nathan Shepherd in Round 3

With the New York Jets selecting defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd in the 2018 NFL Draft, they got an excellent hungry player and fans should be excited.

After Thursday’s surprise of the New York Jets being able to select quarterback Sam Darnold, in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft they selected Nathan Shepherd, a big defensive tackle. He has a lot of upside and talent that many Jets fans should be excited about.

With the Jets selecting Shepherd, they have another bright young talent that has a tremendous upside to his game. When he played in the Senior Bowl amongst other NFL prospects, Shepherd absolutely dominated and caught many eyes from NFL scouts in attendance.

Shepherd has an excellent mentor in Steve McLendon who can help him develop the correct way. He isn’t afraid of any position you put him in as he has excellent awareness. He has added almost more than 100 pounds since high school and has excellent lateral quickness with flexible hips which is a must in his position.

When he is in space, Shepherd is an excellent pursuer in stopping the run. He has excellent size in height and weight as he comes in at 6 -4 and weighing in at 315 pounds. Shepherd has a resemblance to former Jet and current New York Giants defensive tackle Damon Harrison.

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He has excellent movement to get himself around blocks to make himself a solid pass rusher. He could provide extra help to Leonard Williams to take some pressure off of him. Shepherd is a physical and nasty player who the Jets could use on the defensive line to bring more aggression to that part of the defense.

The only thing that scares many including myself is the level of competition he has faced. He will need the correct coaching and training to develop his feel of blocking schemes. He needs to learn to unleash his power and not hold anything back but that will come with development.

Overall, the Jets may have gotten another steal in the draft on Day 2. They need to handle this correctly and not rush Shepherd. The Jets need to let him learn and develop his game and grow as a player. For those who have questions about his game remember to be patient and give it time. The Jets have a potential defensive tackle that could be a star player sooner than later.