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The New York Jets are continuing to explore the defensive line free agent market.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, Gang Green hosted veteran defensive lineman Sheldon Day for a workout this weekend.
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An Interesting Name
The 28-year-old originally entered the NFL as the No. 103 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft.
He crossed over with current Jets head coach Robert Saleh for one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars during his rookie campaign.
Day then followed Saleh to San Francisco and spent an additional three seasons together from 2017 through 2019.
Throughout his six-year NFL career to date, Day has mostly served in a rotational role:
- 67 games played
- Only started in three of those contests
- Seven sacks
- 11 quarterback hits
Prior to joining the professional ranks, Day starred at Notre Dame with the Fighting Irish:
- 7.5 sacks
- 32 tackles for loss
- Eight pass deflections
Lance Zierlein of NFL dot com described him as an “impressive” player that has lateral movement and effort level that is “rarely matched.”
A Great Fit
Day isn’t your prototypical defensive lineman at just 6-foot-1, 285 pounds. However, what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in several key areas.
Zierlein said those size questions likely knocked him off several team’s draft boards back in 2016 but argued that “good football players find spots on rosters and snaps on the field.”
That has certainly been the case during his professional playing career.
Last season for the Cleveland Browns he played in seven games and registered over 234 defensive snaps.
Day has been a rotational guy throughout his career and that is exactly what the Jets would be looking for at this stage of the offseason.
He is a versatile guy that has experience both as a defensive tackle and as a defensive end. Day doesn’t have a massive frame but brings elite quickness off of the ball.
The former Notre Dame stud’s best qualities come as a pass rusher but he showed some serviceable tape as a run defender back during his time with the 49ers, per Pro Football Focus.
Saleh knows him better than most and it would provide some additional depth on the interior where the Jets need him most.
It would still be an uphill battle for Day to make the final 53-man roster, especially if he signs and comes on this late during the process. The Jets’ defensive line group, on paper, is among the deepest in the NFL.
The great news for Day is his experience with Saleh and this system specifically should really benefit him. In theory, all of that history could help accelerate his assimilation to the roster.
With a very limited amount of time before the Jets have to make these key roster decisions, the sooner they can add Day the better.
At worst Day is an uber-talented player that can be added to the Jets’ emergency contact list for the season. That is a common maneuver among NFL teams who like to have a speed-dial ready list just in case an injury hits them during the season.
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