Jets 2018 Training Camp Profile: LB Neville Hewitt

Heading into his first training camp with the New York Jets, linebacker Neville Hewitt is excited to start a new chapter in his career.

New York Jets linebacker Neville Hewitt’s 2018 training camp profile reads like this: A slow recovery from injury, Hewitt underperformed in the second half of his third NFL season. A team plagued with uncertainty, can he help bring a swagger to the Jets defense that has ranked in the bottom third for the last ten seasons?

2017 SEASON REVIEW

Spending the last three seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Hewitt has never shied away from his responsibility of slowing offenses down.

Unfortunately, a shoulder injury shortened a promising 2017 season to only six games. In the second half of the season, Hewitt returned to the field and naturally, his production waned as he managed one tackle via special teams in Week 14 against the New England Patriots.

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2018 SEASON OUTLOOK

Now, let’s assume Hewitt’s 2018 season will be light years removed from last year’s shoulder injury. We then infer, he goes from zero to 60 as the gates open and it’s time to play.

We can expect to see him in the lineup this season as he adds speed, grit, and physicality to a defense still searching for its identity.

When Avery Williamson, Jordan Jenkins or Darron Lee need a breather, Hewitt steps in as a utility hybrid and presumed to keep the pressure on the quarterback.

It’s encouraging to note, Hewitt is not only facing his former team in the AFC East but also facing teams he has had success against defensively.

TRAINING CAMP PREDICTION

If Hewitt uses this training camp as a vehicle to propel himself back into his 2016 explosive and disruptive form, that becomes one less dark cloud of doubt and anxiety over how many games the Jets defense will actually show up for.

Todd Bowles welcomes the competition and Hewitt is no stranger to the training camp battle that lies before him. Fact is the number of games he has started since his rookie season can be counted on both hands.

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Hewitt has the potential to make it to the final roster as he adds dimension to the defense and special teams that’s invaluable late in the season. Assuming his shoulder injury is no longer injurious to his future and with the Jets, Hewitt can certainly find a spot on the 53-man roster.