Rex Ryan has always been a defense-first type of coach. While he never truly lost his hold on the unit while Mike Pettine was coordinator, they definitely played more conservative than Ryan would have liked. After the Jets' defensive struggled to look consistent over the recent years, Ryan is planning on upping the intensity and expecting his players to respond.
During the span of 2010 to 2012, the Jets defense continued to get worse and worse. Their blitz percentage dropped just as rapidly as their overall team record did. In 2009, Ryan called up 52.4 percent in blitzing. 2012 saw the percentage drop to 30.4. Linebacker David Harris told media that Ryan is changing that this year.
"We're going to do a lot of blitzing and getting after people. There should be a different brand of football than you were used to seeing the last couple of years. We played more coverage. It wasn't like '09, that's obvious. That's all I'll say about that," Harris said.
With a change in player personnel will come a change in the overall unit. The defense will no longer be anchored by players like Darrelle Revis, instead being replaced by rookie Dee Milliner and fourth-year cornerback Kyle Wilson. Ryan already likes what he sees in the changes, praising the work of both players in the offseason. New defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman thinks Wilson has the upper hand to win over the No. 2 spot behind Antonio Cromartie.
"You're more than talented enough. You've been in this system for going on you fourth year now. You've got to go out and if you want this job you've got to nail it down. He understands that. We're happy with how he's playing, but his overall ability to go out and make players is going to be what he's measure by this year," Thurman said.
Milliner has yet to take a snap in a Jets' uniform due to offseason surgery on his shoulder. The Alabama product is expected to give Wilson a true run at the No. 2 spot. Ryan is excited for what Wilson has brought to the table, but is anxious to see Milliner after saying he is "one of the top corners I've seen come through the draft in a long time."
The heir to throne of Revis is up for grabs. The training camp competition should be exciting. Ryan wants elevated play from the defense this season, getting back to what the team was once known for. The cornerback that steps up will be the new owner of Revis Island.
