Todd Bowles like BIG corners. Todd Bowles has coached and coached against BIG corners. Now he wants the Jets to have big corners. With the final two draft picks, the Jets drafted big cornerbacks – The first being Jeremy Clark from Michigan.
Similar to the NFC West, Bowles is going to install physical press corners on the outside, with intelligent athletic safeties over the top. Clark could have gone as early as the second round if he hadn’t torn his ACL, so his talent isn’t in question. Additionally, Clark played under former Bowles adversary Jim Harbaugh, so presumably he can execute pro concepts.
Film is a little hard to come by since Clark was injured but here are a few things that can be gathered from stats, scouting reports and the film that is available.
- Good ball skills – had three picks in 2015.
- A physical tackler. Attacks the receiver and tries to jar the ball loose when possible.
- Extends and utilizes long arms to press the WR at the LOS
- Good positioning in trail coverage vs crossing routes. Combine his press skills at the line with his trail skills and he can become a tough corner in time.
This season might be a bit of a red shirt season for Clark. His recovery is reportedly on schedule, but his physical participation in camps will be limited. As such it will likely be a year before Clark becomes a factor on defense. There is high upside with Clark, hopefully he can overcome his injury.
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