The New York Jets are on the prowl to find their next Bryce Huff.
Rich Cimini of ESPN revealed on social media that the green and white is hosting Colorado State EDGE Mohamed Kamara on a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.
“From Newark, NJ. Reminds some of Bryce Huff. He’s 6-1, 248. Mountain West Player of the Year. Had 13 sacks last year,” Cimini explained.
Kamara Is an Underrated Pass Rusher That Fits the Jets’ MO
Kamara, 24, played all five of his college football seasons at Colorado State. During that period, he racked up 29.5 sacks, 45.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, and finished with 179 total tackles.
“Broadly built edge defender with substandard traits but lights-out production over the last couple of seasons. Kamara won’t be everyone’s cup of tea due to his lack of length and tendency to rely heavily upon his power,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein explained. “He gets into the pocket with violent hands, lower-body drive power and a relentless desire to meet the quarterback.”
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Kamara stood in at 6-foot-1 and weighed in at 248 pounds. Huff is a little taller (6-foot-3) and weighs slightly more (255 pounds).
When Huff came out of Memphis, he didn’t ever hear his name called in the NFL draft. Huff went undrafted, signed with the Jets, and then slowly developed over the coming years.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Kamara listed as his No. 18 overall pass rusher in his rankings. He graded the Rams EDGE as a fifth to sixth-round pick late on day three.
There are several reasons for that late projection.
He is an older prospect who is already 24 and he will turn 25 before the start of his rookie season in the NFL. Kamara is undersized and Brugler said he already has a “nearly maxed out frame and below average arm length.”
There are also serious questions about his ability in run defense according to Brugler. In a lot of ways, this is the Huff story for the Jets back in 2020.
This offseason they let him walk in free agency on a big money $51.1 million deal to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now the Jets will attempt to replace him with a much cheaper option in the draft.
The Jets Can Never Have Enough Pass Rushers
As long as Robert Saleh is the head coach of the Jets, he will be constantly adding to the depth of his defensive line.
The green and white has plenty of needs on offense and the focus of April’s draft will likely be in those areas. However, for the cost of a late-round pick, why wouldn’t the Jets take a dart throw on Kamara?
“[He] never shuts things down and proudly makes plays in pursuit … voted a team captain and universally respected in the program,” Brugler explained in “The Beast.” “Described as a ‘no-nonsense’ player by his coaches who also said, he ‘inspires’ teammates with [his] intense work ethic (head coach Jay Norvell: ‘Every day in practice, he sets the example. He’s done a great job as a captain, setting the tone.’)”
Huff was a great story, but the Jets weren’t willing to pay the iron price to keep him. That’s because the Jets believe in their system. With how they rotate guys and keep them fresh, the team can invest in traits.
Gang Green believes they can create another Huff with the scheme and talent on defense. Perhaps Kamara can become that next version for the Jets in 2024.
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