Defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III has only been with the Jets organization since April.
But he already knows the standard of Gang Green’s defense.
“The standard is our culture,” Taylor told the Daily News. “Coach [Robert Saleh] says violence. Just get off the ball, create separation, f–k s–t up.
“And just keep doing it over and over.”
Playing with that same style has Taylor on the cusp of making the Jets’ 53-man roster.
Gang Green signed Taylor as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2024 NFL Draft. A year ago, while playing for the Miami Hurricanes, many thought Taylor could potentially be a first or second-round pick after he declared for the draft with one season of college eligibility remaining. However, inconsistent production, both as a pass rusher and run stopper, plummeted his draft stock.
What also didn’t help was Taylor played out of position at Miami. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal and the coaching staff asked Taylor to play nose tackle, which is defined as a one-technique player. This meant Taylor lined up inside on the center’s outside shoulder.
Adding extra weight to be a nose tackle robbed Taylor of the athleticism he showed in 2022 when he registered 24 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. In his final season at Miami, Taylor finished with 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
“I was playing the one tech, and I was just getting double-teamed,” Taylor said. “We did a lot of moving around based on the scheme.
“Coaches here [with the Jets] just wanted us to line up and go off the ball and make plays. It’s a difference from moving around to lining up and getting off the ball and creating havoc in the backfield.”
In 2021 with the Hurricanes, when Manny Diaz was the coach, Taylor played some three-technique, which consisted of lining up over the guard’s outside shoulder, between the guard and the tackle. This is the same position the Jets have had him in the preseason and training camp.
During the preseason opener against the Commanders, Taylor sped past the blocker and brought quarterback Jeff Driskel down for a sack with one hand.
“Our front is different than what he played in the past,” Jets defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton said about Taylor. “So starting out, he just started out total baby steps. Just learning to play our front and learning to play our style and putting all of those pieces together.
“There are some plays he would like to have back, but there are some exciting plays that you saw out of him that seeing him in April when he got here and started practicing for the first time. Everything was so foreign and things were moving in slow motion for him. But as you saw Saturday, he was playing between the ears and at a faster level.
“When guys are able to play fast between the ears on Saturday, Sunday, whatever day it is, you are showing up on playmaking, and he made a couple of plays because he was playing fast and he was decisive, and he knew what to do and it was an opportunity to make something happen.”
Taylor certainly has made his case to make the Jets’ final roster based on how he performed throughout training camp. He has demonstrated excellent pass-rushing skills to get sacks on opposing quarterbacks. What also stood out is Taylor’s quick reaction off the snap and acceleration to attack the ball carrier.
“I say I can be a dominant force on defense,” Taylor said. “If I get off the ball, a lot of good things can happen. Making plays, keep being a factor. Really, just go out there and put my best foot forward and be as disruptive as possible.”
Since Saleh became the coach in 2021, the Jets have had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough on the defensive line. Bryce Huff was an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was rarely used when Adam Gase was the coach.
But with the help of Saleh, Whitecotton, and Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, Huff became one of the more disruptive pass rushers in the NFL in 2023. That eventually led to Huff parlaying his 10 sacks for the Jets to a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Eagles during the offseason.
All 32 teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Taylor’s last few months have been a rollercoaster, so he does not lose sight of what it would mean to make the Jets’ roster.
“It would mean the world, really,” Taylor said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work. I get to say that I’m part of the Jets and be with Quinnen [Williams] and all those boys for a full season.
“It would mean the world to say that I’m part of the Jets.”
