New York Jets Press Conference Transcript 4/28/11
New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan addressed the media following their selection of Muhammad Wilkerson.ย Here is the transcript courtesy of the Jets.
On rationale for selecting Muhammad Wilkersonโฆ
MIKE TANNENBAUM: He was a guy that we had identified for a while. The thinking was that he is going to come in and give us definite versatility on the defensive line. (He is) 6โ4โ, 315 (pounds). He had earned a single-digit at Temple, which means he had a very successful offseason. Heโs a local guy. Itโs interesting, I had a really good talk with Al Golden, who coached him at Temple. Al was at Virginia with DโBrickashaw (Ferguson). I thought they had a lot of similar attributes in terms of work ethic and demeanor. I think heโs one of those players that, in Rexโs defense, is going to do whatever it takes to be successful. In building our team, something Rex and I talked about the last two years was we feel like depth at the defensive line position was something that was a concern. To get someone of his ability, weโre really excited about that.
On how excited Coach Ryan was getting as he saw defensive players dropping in the roundโฆ
COACH RYAN: We definitely were excited about that. Really, with Muhammad being there, itโs interesting, just watching the whole thing. Iโm like, โOh yeah! Turn it in, turn it in!โ Iโm really excited to have him here. Obviously, thereโs a lot of good football players going to teams in front of you and behind you, but we think this young man is going to do some great things for us.
On where Wilkerson is projected in the defenseโฆ
COACH RYAN: I donโt see him as a nose tackle, but I see where this young man can play defensive end in our system and tackle, as well. I see him as a possible three-down contributor for us, but weโll see. Heโs going to have to come in here and earn his reps and everything else. We think heโs going to be an outstanding player for us.
On whether the level of competition in the Mid-American Conference was a cause for concernโฆ
COACH RYAN: No, he went up against Penn State and all those other teams. You watch that game and youโll have no concerns.
On whether there was any temptation to trade up in the first roundโฆ
MIKE TANNENBAUM: We just had some very cursory phone calls. We listened when we were on the clock, too. Really, when Muhammad was on the board, we were really excited about that opportunity. We made a few calls, but nothing really heated up.
On when they really started targeting Wilkersonโฆ
MIKE TANNENBAUM: Typically, anytime we make a pick, we wait until weโre like five or six (picks) away and then weโll stack them. Weโll discuss it and then weโll (play) devilโs advocate off of that. Weโll look at it, always wait for the phone to ring, and then go from there. We kind of have the same procedure anytime we make a pick.
On whether DaโQuan Bowers was in the conversation at any timeโฆ
COACH RYAN: I think, number one, he is an outstanding player. I think Muhammad really (fits) what we want to do defensively. (He is) a guy that can play head-up on a tackle and kick back in passing situations over guards and centers and things like that. Really, he is an outstanding fit for what we do defensively.
On what Wilkerson can do for the teamโฆ
JOEY CLINKSCALES: Muhammad is great. Heโs athletic, and a guy like coach (Ryan) said, he can play a couple of positions. He had nine-and-a-half sacks this year and I think 17.5 for his career. Heโs strong inside and has great hands. We had brought him in on our local day for the workout and he performed well. We were excited to get Muhammad.
On if the team was looking at Phil Taylorโฆ
MIKE TANNENBAUM: I think heโs going to be a really good player (and was a) good pick for Cleveland. They moved around a little bit. He should play for a long time. I think heโll do a good job.
On if the team wanted to pick a defensive playerโฆ
REX RYAN: We traded for (Antonio) Cromartie last year and used our first-round pick on Kyle Wilson. It was funny, the defensive coaches all came up before the draft and said, โYouโve had seven picks since youโve been the head coach here and (youโve only picked) one defensive player.โ Now we have two and we are excited about that.
On what gave Wilkerson the edge over other talented playersโฆ
REX RYAN: We have been really fortunate the past couple of years. Our depth has been dwindling a little bit on our defensive line. This is going to be a young man that I think can really help us, come in and play tackle or inside. He was an excellent player in college and I think he has more to give. Iโm just excited to see this guy. Weโre going to push him and coach him to play the way we play. To play like a Jet. I think the Temple Owls were well coached and they play hard. I donโt think it will be that big of a transition for him as far as the effort it takes. We are going to push him.
On if Wilkersonโs pass rushing was a factorโฆ
REX RYAN: You love to have a pass rusher whether it comes from the outside or inside. This young man can certainly do it. Mike (Tannenbaum and Joey Clinkscales) already talked about his pass rush numbers. I think he had nine-and-a-half sacks this year so obviously he has a lot of production. You look at that as an interior pass rusher and that is hard to do. Clearly, weโre excited about it. He has a huge wing span. I think his arms are 35 ยผ inches long. Thatโs up there. Thatโs DโBrickashaw (Ferguson) type arms. Weโre excited about that. From an inside pass rusher, thatโs really what you look for. We compared him to a young Trevor Pryce when he came out of Clemson.
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