Gang Green Nation is pleased to welcome superhuman as our newest writer. Superhuman
has been a long time member of the site. Many of you will recognize him for the
excellent work he has done in the Fanposts section over the years
http://www.jetscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-morris-claiborne-jersey , particularly his terrific draft related material, as well as his always
insightful comments. Please join the staff in giving him a very warm welcome.-
MacGregor WellsAfter missing the entire 2017 season due to a neck injury, Quincy
Enunwa has wasted little time establishing a rapport with his new quarterback
Sam Darnold. Through the first three games he has 17 receptions on 29 targets
for 212 yards and a TD.His 29 targets are nearly half of the entire wide
receiver targets (61) for the team.He also has a 34.5% target rate per route run
which is WR1 type numbers and he is on pace to destroy hisstats from his
break-out year of 2016.That year he had 58 receptions on 105 targets for 857
yards and 4 TDs.At his current pace Enunwa is on pace to have a 91 reception/
155 targets/ 1131 yards and 5 TDs.These may seem to be lofty expectations but as
he gets more in sync with Sam Darnold then Darnold can become more relaxed as a
player.You want Darnold to grow in confidence and start doing things more
naturally.Having a go to receiver who can keep the chains moving will accelerate
that process.But first let’s digress and learn a little more about our leading
receiver.High School and CollegeOnochie Quincy Enunwa was born in Moreno Valley
California on May 31st 1992. In high school he ran track and played football.
His stats as a senior were modest for a superior athlete (40 receptions/ 15 TDs)
but his size intrigued Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and his staff.In 2010 (Enunwa’s
first year at Nebraska) the Cornhuskers amassed almost 400 yards of total
offense a game with about 60% coming on the ground.A big bodied receiver with
speed could really help in the running game; this is where Enunwa learned how to
downfield block.In his first two years he played in 23 games but had a mere 22
receptions for 303 yards and 2 TDs to show for it.He was more involved in the
offense as a junior with 44 receptions for 470 yards and a TD but still he
constituted a mere 16.2% of the passing offense.His senior year was his breakout
campaign and was the reason he was on teams’ draft boards.He was the receiving
leader on the team with 51 receptions for 753 yards and 12 TDs.He accounted for
29.5 % of the receiving yards and a whopping 48% of the receiving TDs.He did all
of this while catching balls from 3 different QBs who each completed over 100
passes.He was a team captain and the MVP of the Gator Bowl that year ( a win
over Georgia). He broke the Nebraska record for TD receptions in a year (12)
that was previously held by Heisman award winner Johnny (The Jet) Rodgers.The
fact that he broke a record of someone nicknamed the “Jet” is stunningly
prophetic.He also holds the NCAA record (that can never be broken) of the
longest TD reception, 99 yards which he did in the Gator bowl. Which you can see
here...Enunwa also worked hard in the classroom, earning the Nebraska
scholar-athlete honor roll his junior season.Quincy Enunwa draft stock...Looking
back on my notes I had a late 4th round grade on Enunwa and was pleasantly
surprised when Idzik drafted him in the 6th round.Jets GM John Idzik had drafted
Shaq Evans in the 4th round out of UCLA so I doubted he would take another
receiver.Interestingly I had a late 6th round grade on Shaq Evans who was
slower, weaker and shorter than Enunwa.Evans now plays in the CFL for
Saskatchewan and he never had a reception in the NFL. Enunwa draft
positives..Size - 6’ 2” 225 lbs with long arms Speed - 4.45/40 with a 1.56/10
yard splitStrength - 19 reps at the benchLarge strong handsExcellent hands with
a large catch radiusHigh Football IQ Was a team leader and Captain with
excellent intangibles Analysis...Enunwa easily passes the airport test. He looks
like a fine tuned athlete with well defined musculature and long arms and big
hands.He is tall but not overly so
Cheap Jamal Adams Jersey , which would lessen his suddenness.He is fast but doesn’t have elite speed to just run by defenders.He shows a strong initial
burst 1.56/10 yard split which allows him to quickly gobble up distance between
him and an off defender.Here he is in 2016 taking a short pass to the house
outrunning numerous defenders.You can see that once he retains his balance and
accelerates he gets up to top speed quickly. This is unusual for a taller
player.His strength is a huge asset in that combined with his size and speed he
becomes a difficult match up for defenses.A CB or SS can get overpowered when
making the catch and LBs are too slow and Enunwa can just run away from their
coverage. Most wide receivers have little strength and rely on speed and
quickness to survive.In this way a player like Enunwa is difficult for DB’s to
prepare for, with his skill set being fairly unique. Even though his first two
years at Nebraska were uneventful on the field, Enunwa took advantage of one of
the country’s best strength and conditioning programs at Nebraska.It allowed him
to become a better blocker and gave him a physical edge against defensive
backs.Here he is on a 24 yard TD pass that Enunwa uses his elusiveness and
strength to get by four defenders before making his way into the end zone.It was
written in draft reports that Enunwa had poor hands and technique but I found
that to be a falsehood.Enunwa did labor with poor QB play his final two years
and it may have lead to this false assumption.Here are three TD catches made by
Enunwa his senior year and every ball is poorly thrown and Enunwa has to make a
quick adjustment on.We have seen signs of Enunwa’s hands during Jet games in the
past.Enunwa can use his size to become a terror in the slot but he is not
confined to that role.He has good speed and adjusts to the ball well, using
great concentration to make the catch.Here he is back in 2016 as an outside
receiver and taking a pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick.The coverage is great but
Enunwa uses his body as a shield to snag a big gain.You can see the catch radius
Enunwa has as the CB tries his best; he does everything he can but he just
doesn’t have the size to compete.Enunwa is a QB friendly receiver who knows
where the sticks are and will always get the first down yardage.He also knows
how to find and sit down in soft spots of zone coverage and he presents a big
wide target for the QB to hit.These are little things that make up winning type
players.It is the attention to detail and the willingness to do the dirty work
to help the team that Enunwa has done since college.He was the poster child for
downfield blocking at Nebraska and he never shies away from contact.He is a
positive force on the team and he literally leads by example.Draft Negatives on
Enunwa...One year of productionNot a skilled route runnerHas tight hips and is
slow on breaks or cuts“Tweener” traits, too small as a TE and too bulky for a
WRAnalysis..A lot of the negatives for Enunwa can be traced back to the Nebraska
program itself.A run first offense that is a dinosaur in today’s college
landscape and the NFL.He had poor QB play and even during his breakout year he
had three different QBs throwing to him; it is near impossible for any player to
get into rhythm in a passing offense like this.He was an extra blocker for the
majority of his first three years in Lincoln so it is tough to develop good
traits when you are not getting game reps.That being said it was a true
statement and even now Enunwa is not a sophisticated nuanced route runner.Of
course that is what WR coaches are for and Enunwa is doing quite well as of now
but has room to grow.Enunwa is not the quickest receiver, especially for a
primary slot specialist but that is not uncommon for a man of his size and
musculature.What he loses in quickness he gains back in size advantage.This is
why he was considered a “Tweener” but you have to remember this was back five or
six years ago and the small (move) TEs who don’t block were not in vogue yet.
Today some teams might look at Enunwa as a flexed TE and not even use him as an
outside WR.A scouting negative can become a positive as trends evolve.
Summary.Quincy Enunwa has become the Jets go to receiver and Sam Darnold’s
favorite target through the first three games. He has far exceeded his draft
grade (or even mine) to become a quality possession receiver with upside.Draft
bias still exists with scouts for certain teams and Nebraska hasn’t really had a
plethora of great receivers in the past.Even Johnny Rodgers (Heisman winner)
never made it in the NFL but had a great career in the CFL.No one has ever heard
a GM say “lets make sure we get that Nebraska receiver”.You may soon see teams
trying to roll coverage to Enunwa and take away a rookie QB’s security
blanket.If this should happen you then may see Robby Anderson become relevant
and Jermaine Kearse become more involved farther downfield. This would actually
give the Jets a more rounded passing game plus help the running game as well.The
more area a defense has to cover allows more space for offensive players to
operate.Until then Enunwa should continue to put up quality numbers and give a
strong outlet for Sam Darnold to go to.Kelvin Beachum “week to week” with a foot
injury Jets starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum sat out tonight’s Green and
White Practice with an apparent foot injury.Todd Bowles confirmed the injury
when he spoke to the media after practice.Week to week does not make it sound
like Beachum is going to be playing anytime soon. The good news is that the
preseason has yet to begin so there still is plenty of time to recover. For the
Jets’ sake
Cheap Isaiah Crowell Jersey , it sure would nice to see that happen before Week 1. This team’s starting offensive line does not look great on paper,
but things get far bleaker if there are any injuries up front. There is zero
depth in the offensive trenches. An injury, particularly at a position as
important as left tackle could be a devastating blow to the team.The lack of a
healthy Beachum also could be a point in favor of bringing Sam Darnold along
slowly.
