In Rex Ryan’s “organized chaos” defense, it can be difficult to label an individual player with one specific position. So, the fact that Vernon Gholston, who’s listed as an outside linebacker, took the majority of his reps as a backup defensive end to Shaun Ellis in Week Two needs to be kept in perspective. But it is somewhat telling that he spent far more time with his hand on the ground as a lineman than standing up on the second level. Some of the rationale for the switch can be attributed to the fact that the Jets played mostly nickel defense vs. the Patriots, but they predominantly keep just three down linemen in the sub-package and subsequently don’t need to stack an additional defender on the line. Basically, Gholston’s not fooling anybody at linebacker, so the Jets are starting to turn him loose to do what he does best: rush the quarterback.

PFW has launched its brand-new NFL Draft Newsletter series, with the first issue now ready for mailing. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format.