Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of a preseason game.
The New York Jets have found new players to step up in the absence of star pass rusher Haason Reddick.
Brian Costello of the New York Post highlighted one of them — former first-rounder Takk McKinley — as a player who has “had a strong training camp.”
McKinley, who played for the Los Angeles Rams last year, had “what would have been a sack of Bryce Young and some strong reps in one-on-one drills with the Panthers offensive line” during the Jets’ August 15 joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, Costello wrote.
In a six-second clip that went viral, McKinley burst off the line of scrimmage and sped around former first-round tackle Ikem Ekwonu, evading Ekwonu’s block attempt.
McKinley himself posted the video on his Instagram page, captioning it: “Awesome vid 🙏🏿.”
Not the First Time McKinley Has Turned Heads at Jets Camp
McKinley making noise this offseason has felt like a common occurrence.
Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor tweeted that McKinley looked “very explosive off the line in his Jets debut” during the preseason opener versus the Washington Commanders.
Takk McKinley looked very explosive off the line in his #Jets debut
Lacking talent has never been an issue for McKinley.
He entered the NFL in 2017 as the No. 26 overall pick in the first round. In his first two NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, McKinley looked like the real deal.
He registered 25 quarterback hits, 13 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. For whatever reason, McKinley fell off the face of the Earth from a production standpoint and has been bouncing around the league ever since.
Head coach Robert Saleh cited “life” problems as an issue for McKinley earlier this offseason when talking about him, but said he has a chance to rebirth himself here with the Jets.
Reddick hasn’t been around the team since April 1 which has opened the door for other pass rushers to make a name for themselves in his absence.
The Jets typically like to keep around 10 defensive linemen on the final 53-man roster because of their rotational system.
With another strong showing in the preseason, McKinley can get closer to locking his spot on the team down.
“If McKinley can show the coaches that he is able to step in with Reddick’s absence, he will take the pressure off of Joe Douglas to get a deal done with Reddick,” A to Z Sports’ Mike Antoniou wrote on August 13.
McKinley Needs to Make Some More Noise in the Panthers Preseason Game
Coach Saleh hasn’t said anything publically about his plans in the preseason to play starters, but it sounds like he is leaning towards not playing many if any of them.
That is good news for guys like McKinley.
These are massive opportunities for players to strut their stuff under the lights and prove that they are worthy of a roster spot.
McKinley has the talent and the Jets coaching staff has proven more than capable of getting the most out of the players they have under their direction.
If Reddick does show up eventually, McKinley could still have a role on this team as a situational pass rusher. However, if he doesn’t show up, McKinley could have a chance at a much larger role than that with this team.
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‘Explosive’ Ex-First Rounder Impresses During Panthers Practice