New York Jets first-year defensive line coach Karl Dunbar says the team plans to use more of Buddy Ryan's "46" defense next season, Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger reports.
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"We're going to play a lot of that 46 defense," Dunbar said on Wednesday. "You get in that 46 defense, youâre going to get a lot of one-on-one blocks, and when we put athletic guys on the field, bad things happen for the offense."
The Jets have devoted considerable draft resources towards upgrading what was an aging defensive line. 2011 draft picks Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis each possess the size and athleticism to play the "5" technique (defensive end in a 3-4), "3" technique defensive tackle or nose tackle positions. The Jets then used their 2012 first round pick on Quinton Coples, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound lineman whose versatility allowed him to play both defensive end and defensive tackle at North Carolina, where he posted 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons.
Dunbar thinks Coples will be "an awesome fit" in New York.
"I don't see a problem with that," Dunbar said of Coples' slight statistical decline in 2011. "I saw a great athlete, and heâs going to get a chance to show who he is. From the things I've seen in the three days of practice and mini-camp we had, Iâm loving every minute."
