Patriots Player on Wilkerson “One of the best defensive players in the league”
Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson of the New York Jets is so dominant that he has even made former New England Patriots player Willie McGinest take notice and declare that Wilkerson is “one of the best defensive players in the league” on national TV. The way that he plays in every facet in the game made McGinest rank him just behind All Pro Texans defensive end J.J. Watt for the title on the NFL Network.
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Ex-Patriots star says Jets’ Mo Wilkerson is one of NFL’s best players | NJ.com High praise. |
| Source: www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/ex_patriots_player_willie_mcginest_says_nice_thing.html | |
The way that Muhammad impacts a football game makes offensive coordinators gameplan for him, often double teaming him which is not enough. More often than not, it just slows him down and he is still able to get through. The times that he doesn’t beat the double teams is when his true worth is felt.
While two offensive lineman are entangled with him, that leaves defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and DE Leonard Williams each on 1 on 1 matchups. Obviously, no center or guard can handle Richardson but in the rare instances that even he was blocked, rookie Williams had the immense talent to pass rush around his blocker and get to the quarterback. The amount of attention that Wilkerson drew on himself freed up the other defensive linemen, linebackers and the rest of his teammates.
Muhammad also affected the gameplan from a different perspective. Not only did his fellow members get individual matchups but by him commanding the double teams, head coach Todd Bowles did not have to blitz as often as before, therefore leaving more players in coverage. This was one of the reasons why cornerback Marcus Williams ( 6 interceptions, 10 pass deflections ) and free safety Marcus Gilchrist ( 82 tackles, 3 INTs, 7 deflections ) had career years, defending the backend. When Mo Wilkerson takes the field, offensive players are quick to point him out wherever he may line up.
The way Wilkerson can penetrate the trenches affected opposing offenses in more ways than one. Add in the fact that he’s a great stopper with multiple tackles on running backs at or behind the line of scrimmage, and you can see why he is a complete defensive player. A defensive end who can pass rush and throw his body in run support in the NFL is rare. It’s no wonder that ex-Jet nemesis McGinest proclaimed that he loves “everything he brings to the game.” All these accolades prove that Wilkerson deserves to be among the NFL’s five best defensive players.
