Darrell Jackson Jr. quietly did something not seen since the Rex Ryan era

Whatever stats and facts you’ve seen throughout the New York Jets’ five games, good luck finding anything more obscure than what we learned about rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.

Jackson had a long-awaited breakout against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday, recording his first career sack and breaking up two passes. According to the Jets’ official website, he became the first Jets player since Muhammad Wilkerson in 2014 to record consecutive pass deflections behind the line of scrimmage.

That is so incredibly specific, and we love it. Who finds these things?

“Most quarterbacks, they’re short, they throw the ball low, so I get my hands up,” Jackson told reporters. “I’ve got a 7-foot wingspan, and that’s something I can add to my game. [Jets coaches] talk about that in meetings: hands up in the throwing lanes and that affects the quarterback if you can’t get there.”

Makes sense to us, and the results spoke for themselves during the much-needed comeback win.

Can New York Jets rookie Darrell Jackson Jr. build off an impressive Week 5 performance?

Whenever a Jets rookie has an impressive early-season performance, we’re left thinking about Stephen Hill and his dominant Week 1 showing in 2012. The second-round pick had two of his four career touchdowns in a blowout win over the rival Bills, and fans hadn’t yet realized that Hill wouldn’t even make it three seasons in New York.

We mean that with all due respect to Jackson, who played 42.6 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps. Both pass breakups and the sack came in the fourth quarter, helping Aaron Glenn’s squad survive penalties and Cleveland receiver Denzel Boston’s 29-yard touchdown catch.

Glenn has repeatedly offered effusive praise for Jackson, commending the rookie for his practice efforts and for using his 6-foot-5, 315-pound size to his advantage. 

Jackson and No. 2 pick David Bailey have another major opportunity to prove they’re fully prepared to thrive in the NFL. The Patriots are expected to be without left tackle Will Campbell (knee) on Sunday afternoon, and the Jets’ defense is fresh off an eight-sack, 10-TFL outing. 

And if you love watching rookies, the Jets may finally get Omar Cooper Jr. back from an ankle injury; the No. 30 pick, who hasn’t played since Week 1, was listed as a limited participant during Wednesday’s walkthrough.

“We feel like it’s going to be one of the special draft classes that has come through the Jets,” Jackson said. “That’s our mentality. … We feel we have great players that came in with the mindset, came in learning fast.”

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