Tag: Jamien Sherwood

Jets LB Jarrad Davis to miss several weeks, Jamien Sherwood to start

The Jets won’t have LB Jarrad Davis for the first five games of the season. Robert Saleh expects rookie Jamien Sherwood to start.

The Jets lost another starting defensive player, but only for a portion of the season.

Strongside linebacker Jarrad Davis won’t return to the team until around Week 6, Robert Saleh said Monday. Davis suffered an ankle injury in the Jets’ preseason win over the Packers on Saturday. Saleh wouldn’t say if Davis was a candidate for injured reserve and added that he doesn’t think it was a high ankle sprain.

Davis was carted off the field in the first half of the Packers game and didn’t return. Though the initial prognosis was “promising,” Davis is still expected to miss the Jets’ first five games of the season. The hope is that he returns after the team’s Week 6 bye and plays against the Patriots in Week 7.

The Jets signed Davis to a one-year, $5.5 million contract over the offseason. His injury follows Carl Lawson’s season-ending ruptured Achilles. Davis and Lawson were two of the Jets’ most notable defensive free agent signings.

Saleh said that rookie Jamien Sherwood — not Blake Cashman — is expected to start in Davis’ place. The Jets drafted Sherwood in the fifth round out of Auburn this spring and converted him from safety to linebacker. He and Hamsah Nasirildeen will round out the Jets’ starting linebacker corps with C.J. Mosley manning the middle of the defense.

Other Jets injuries from the Packers game include tackle Conor McDermott, who isn’t expected to return until after the season starts. He was carted off the field with a knee injury. Defensive end Ronald Blair (hamstring) and quarterback Mike White (ribs) are considered day-to-day.

Saleh also hopes to have rookies Alijah Vera-Tucker and Elijah Moore ready for Week 1.

[listicle id=656341]

Jets rookie Hamsah Nasirildeen getting used to life as a linebacker

Hamsah Nasirildeen has settled into his new position with the Jets, taking first-team reps at weak-side linebacker in camp.

Hamsah Nasirildeen spent his career at Florida State pegged as a versatile safety who could play over the top in coverage and in the box in run support.

But his position title has changed with the Jets.

New York did not draft Nasirildeen, a second-team All-ACC safety with the Seminoles in 2019, to play the position he thrived at when healthy in college. Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich brought Nasirildeen to the Big Apple with an eye on playing him as a weak-side linebacker — a role that calls upon Nasirildeen’s strengths as a multi-faceted defender.

Nasirildeen spent the spring adjusting to his new position at the highest level of football. With the Jets now two weeks into training camp, the North Carolina native is finally comfortable being called a linebacker.

“I think I’m used to it now,” Nasirildeen said Tuesday. “People ask me when I’m around, I give the right answer now. At first, I used to say safety.”

Nasirildeen has taken well to his new position, taking first-team reps alongside Jarrad Davis and C.J. Mosley. That has carried over into the early days of training camp, making Nasirildeen poised for a key role in New York’s defense as a rookie.

Versatility is the name of the game for weak-side linebackers in today’s NFL and Nasirildeen brings that in spades. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Nasirildeen has the requisite frame to play linebacker. He also has the necessary speed and athleticism to play in space and cover shifty running backs and pass-catching tight ends.

“Hamsah’s been really good,” Saleh said. “Both those kids, [Jamien] Sherwood and Hamsah, both of those rookie safeties who were converted to linebacker, their transition has been seamless. Hamsah looks fantastic. He has a lot of energy to him. It’s a matter of continuing to learn the game and learn the process and all the little nuances that separate great players.”

Weak-side linebacker is a new position in the Jets’ defense with New York transitioning from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme. Saleh and Ulbrich did not have personnel who fit the position when they arrived at One Jets Drive, but that has changed with the additions of Nasirildeen and Sherwood.

Thanks to those two, the position is no longer an area of concern for the Jets. In fact, it might be a strength by the end of the season.

[listicle id=659386]

Seeing the entire board & field: Jets LB Jamien Sherwood has a knack for chess

One of Jamien Sherwood’s off-the-field talents may help him see the entire field when he’s playing linebacker for the Jets.

One of Jamien Sherwood’s off-the-field talents may help him see the entire field when he’s playing linebacker for the Jets.

Sherwood, on an episode of “Meet the Fleet” with team reporter Olivia Landis, recently revealed that chess is one of his hidden talents. The Auburn product went as far as saying he was “pretty good” at the game, which could be a modest take considering chess is not an easy craft to master.

A chess player’s success hinges on his ability to read the board and see one step ahead of his opponent. Strategy and approach are the driving forces behind a player’s ability to win. NFL linebackers often rely on their natural athleticism and sure tackling skills to make plays. While Sherwood is well off in that regard, he showcased traits throughout the spring that mirrored the detail-oriented approach of a chess player.

“I’ve been around a lot of rookies as a player and coach and he’s unique in the way that he has absolutely like, picked up the finite details of this defense already,” Jeff Ulbrich said of Sherwood in June. “His ability to command the defense, run the huddle, make the adjustments, make the checks, the calls, the whole thing, [it’s] very exciting.”

Sherwood shined throughout his first spring with the Jets and is competing for the starting weak-side linebacker spot with Blake Cashman and fellow rookie Hamsah Nasirildeen. Sherwood can also play in coverage against running backs and tight ends when needed, making him a versatile chess piece Ulbrich and Robert Saleh can deploy in a multitude of ways.

New York does not need Sherwood taking complete command of its defense as a rookie with veteran C.J. Mosley at middle linebacker, but his ability to do so in his first couple of practices with the team bodes well for his future. With a little more seasoning and some in-game experience and production, Sherwood could be a leader of Saleh and Ulbrich’s defense sooner than expected.

[listicle id=659253]

Jamien Sherwood adjusting to new position, weather with Jets

The rookie linebacker is adapting to new circumstances with the Jets.

Jamien Sherwood knew there would be changes when New York drafted him.

The biggest initial shock, however, was the weather. A Florida native and Auburn product, Sherwood is not used to a colder climate. The last time he remembers playing football in the cold was in ninth grade when a game in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina fell below 10 degrees.

So when the pilot captaining Sherwood’s post-draft flight to New Jersey informed the cabin the temperature would be 57 degrees upon arrival, Sherwood wasn’t exactly ready.

“That just caught me by surprise,” Sherwood said, per SNY, before assuring a little chilly weather wouldn’t get in his way.

“At the end of the day, I’m in the National Football League,” he said, “so you gotta prepare for whatever is thrown at me.”

The weather won’t be the biggest transition for Sherwood, though. The Jets moved him from safety, his college position, to linebacker to better fit Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense – something that will be different but not entirely problematic for the fifth-rounder.

“It hasn’t really been much of an issue,” Sherwood said of moving to linebacker, per SNY. “Before [the Jets] even drafted me we had our talks with each other and I was going to be drafted as a linebacker if I came to the Jets.”

Sherwood played safety in college but lined up all over the field in 2020. He played 44.5 percent of his snaps at safety, 34.2 percent at linebacker and 21.2 percent at cornerback, per Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania. In that versatile role, Sherwood proved to be an adept tackler, above-average run stopper and great zone coverage defender. He tallied 77 total tackles, a 71.1 Pro Football Focus run defense grade and allowed just 5.7 yards per target in zone coverage, per Nania. He also has 549 snaps of experience on special teams, per NFL Network’s Ben Fennell.

Saleh and Ulbrich’s defense will rely a lot on similarly positionless football this season. Saleh recently said the Jets’ defense will focus on players who can hit hard, stop the run and diagnose coverages. That’s Sherwood’s skillset in a nutshell. His ability to retain his new playbook will play a critical role in his early development, and Sherwood feels confident in his study habits.

“When I do step out on the field,” Sherwood said, “it’s just like secondhand nature.”

[listicle id=659253]

Jets sign first 2021 rookie in fifth-round LB Jamien Sherwood

The Jets locked up their first of 10 picks and the first of the entire 2021 NFL draft.

A Jet will be the first 2021 NFL draftee to sign.

Fifth-round linebacker Jamien Sherwood agreed to a four-year, $3.834 million deal with New York and plans to sign Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That would make him the first pick to ink his rookie deal.

Though the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Sherwood will play linebacker for the Jets, he lined up all over the field for Auburn. Sherwood played 44.5 percent of his 2020 snaps at safety and 34 percent at linebacker, according to Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania. He also saw action in the slot and at outside cornerback.

Sherwood finished the 2020 season with 75 tackles, one sack, one interception and three defended passes.

[listicle id=659253]

2021 NFL Draft: Bills meet with versatile defender Jamien Sherwood

Buffalo Bills 2021 NFL Draft meeting with Jamien Sherwood.

The Bills met with a versatile defensive prospect ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft later this month. According to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, safety Jamien Sherwood has talked with several teams pre-draft, including the Bills:

As mentioned in the report, Sherwood would provide a lot of different things for the Bills. While the team doesn’t really have a spot for a linebacker or safety in their starting defense, Sherwood could provide a great skill set on certain plays in Sean McDermott’s defense. That “nickel sub package” mention is a key area in McDermott’s scheme.

Plus, the team is no stranger to moving a safety into a linebacker role, that’s what they did with Matt Milano. As his recent extension shows, that worked out fine.

In 2020, Sherwood, a junior, had 75 tackles, three for loss, a sack, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries in 11 games played. Projections, including Pro Football Network, suggest Sherwood might be somewhere between a fourth and fifth round pick.

[lawrence-related id=80432,80404,80556,80553]

Packers meet with Auburn S Jamien Sherwood

The Packers had a virtual pre-draft meeting with Auburn safety Jamien Sherwood.

The Green Bay Packers met virtually with Auburn safety Jamien Sherwood during the lead-up to the draft, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

Sherwood (6-2, 216) has met with over 20 teams.

A one-year starter, Sherwood played in 37 career games at Auburn and produced 141 total tackles (8.5 for loss), 12 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, one interception and three fumble recoveries.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sherwood made 12 stops – or tackles constituting an offensive failure – against the run in 2020. He played in the box on over 300 of his defensive snaps last season.

The Packers and other NFL teams may view Sherwood as a sub-package linebacker option at the next level. He’s an excellent tackler and is best-suited playing in the box closer to the line of scrimmage. The Packers could use an overhang defender with Raven Greene still unsigned.

At Auburn’s pro day, Sherwood ran the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds, hit 10-3 on the broad and 36″ on the vertical jump and did 15 reps on the bench press.

PFF believes Sherwood could be a third-round pick in the 2021 draft.

[lawrence-related id=57317,57313]

Pro Day preview for March 18: Potential Giants targets

A quick breakdown of the Pro Days being held on March 18 and who the New York Giants may be scouting at each.

The college pro days continue on Thursday with eight schools holding workouts featuring their draft-eligible players. One school – Louisiana-Monroe – did not have any players rated by any of the top draft sites although they had one invited to the Combine in RB Josh Johnson.

Here’s the schedule and some possible players the New York Giants could be targeting.

Four former Auburn players invited to 2021 NFL Scouting Combine

Four former Auburn Tigers have been invited to the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine which will be held at the college’s Pro Day.

The list of invitees to the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine is out and four Auburn players have made the cut.

Former Tigers K.J. Britt, Anthony Schwartz, Jamien Sherwood and Seth Williams will represent Auburn at the yearly event that, due to COVID-19 issues, will be held quite differently this season. Instead of the traditional workouts being held in Indianapolis, players will work out for NFL teams at their respective college’s Pro Day.

Britt missed the majority of the 2020 season after undergoing surgery for a thumb injury following the Georgia game in Week 2. Expected to be one of the defensive leaders, he recorded 69 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks while forcing a fumble in 2019 as a junior.

As a junior in 2020, Schwartz recorded 54 receptions for 636 yards and three touchdowns while Williams once again led the Tigers in receiving yards with 760 on 47 receptions and four touchdowns.

Sherwood made 75 total tackles with three tackles for a loss and one sack while recovering one fumble from the defensive back position.

Report: Auburn DB Jamien Sherwood to enter NFL Draft

Auburn defensive back Jamien Sherwood will reportedly enter the NFL Draft.

The Auburn secondary is down a man for 2021.

Per AL.com, defensive back Jamien Sherwood is expected to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, foregoing his senior season on the Plains.

As a junior in 2020, Sherwood recorded 75 total tackles (44 solo) along with three tackles for a loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, three broken up passes and a quarterback hurry.

From The Draft Network:

Pros: Jamien aligns at Safety for the Tiger defense. He has average reactive athleticism, evidenced in his agility in coverage and movement skills. He’s a physical run defender who is a good tackler in confined areas. He has some pop in his hip as a tackler and is heavy at the point of attack. Sherwood is a good communicator on the back end and appears to have good command of their scheme. In the passing game, he is better as a low hole player in zone. He has the size to match up well against Tight Ends in coverage. He projects with good core special teams upside in the NFL due to his size and tackling ability. On 3rd downs he’s an ideal fit as the “Money” linebacker on the 2nd level in sub-packages.

Cons: Jamien is not the most agile athlete in space. He doesn’t have a lot of man coverage upside which will limit where he can be used defensively in the NFL. He also lacks good deep speed which will limit his range if he plays on the back end. He hasn’t made a lot of plays in the passing game thus far and this is concerning as the passing game is a significant part of the pro game.

The 2021 NFL Draft begins on April 29.