The New York Jets have been a hard watch at times this season, but one rookie star has stepped up to catch the eye.
First-round draft pick Olu Fashanu is already showing signs of being Gang Green’s next great offensive lineman, and is set to start for the first time on Sunday in a position that he could lock down for the foreseeable future.
Left tackle Tyron Smith has been sidelined from practice this week with a neck issue, and could miss the NFL Week 11 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
That would open the door for Fashanu to cover veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ blind side in the position he is most comfortable with.
While he was drafted by the Jets to be their future LT, the 21-year-old has already impressed coaches and teammates by starting games in less familiar roles.
Fashanu practised last week mostly at right guard — a position he had never played in his career until a depth issue against the Houston Texans last month.
He then jumped in at his natural position when Smith was injured against the Arizona Cardinals.
The rookie’s previous two starts came at right tackle, meaning he has already played three different positions on the o-line.
And that is something his teammates have taken notice of.
“I hate him because he’s so freaking athletic,” veteran RT Morgan Moses joked.
“What you want in a rookie is a guy who is willing to be so selfless. He’s a first-round pick and can be like, ‘No, I play tackle,’ but he’s like, ‘I’m going to do anything for the team and to get on the field, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.’
“You appreciate a guy like that.”
Todd Downing, the Jets play-caller on offense, added he is ‘excited’ about Fashanu’s future, and the strides he’s made both ‘inside and outside’ so far.
The praise is perhaps not surprising, because the Jets knew what they were getting when they signed 33-year-old Smith on a one-year deal.
Due to injury setbacks, he has not been able to play a full season since 2015.
So far this year, the eight-time Pro Bowler has allowed five sacks and six penalties, and his neck issue could open the door for new blood to establish itself.
Only time will tell if Fashanu will be the Jets’ saving grace, but his teammates are certainly excited about the future.
“He’s an awesome guy,” center Joe Tippmann told talkSPORT.
“Sometimes when guys get into the league it may take them a little bit to become a pro. He hasn’t had that issue.
“Talking about him playing guard, he had never played the position before. Not even in practice.
“He was a little shaken up at first… but every single guy on the o-line was telling him he didn’t have to worry about anything.”
Tippmann also revealed that Fashanu played his first three snaps at guard before his teammates were able to explain the ‘ins and outs’ of the position on the sideline.
“To see him go out and play the rest of the game that he did… I’m just really impressed,” he added.
With a 3-7 record heading into Sunday’s battle against Indianapolis, the Jets will need to win to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.
But with a versatile rookie set to slip into a familiar position on the o-line, Rodgers might just have enough protection to pull out a big performance.
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