Out of any of the Jets’ undrafted free agents, Bryce Huff has the best chance to stick.
New York is constantly looking to get better at the edge rusher position. Besides drafting Jabari Zuniga in the third round of the draft, the Jets did not do much to address the position this offseason. Re-signing Jordan Jenkins to a one-year deal was a savvy move by Joe Douglas, but the Jets failed to add other available pieces on the market.
New York has a chance to right its wrongs with Huff, who was projected to be a mid-round draft choice but surprisingly went undrafted. Now with Gang Green, Huff has the chance to make all the teams that passed on him pay.
With that said, let’s get to know Huff a bit better. Here are four things to know about the undrafted free agent.
Under Pressure
Bryce Huff ranked fourth in the nation amongst pass-rushers in 2019 with 64 total pressures. Out of 359 pass rushes, Huff’s pressure rate was 18 percent, which ranked seventh-best in the nation and in the 99th percentile.
Huff became a force to be reckoned with after transitioning from linebacker to the defensive line. During his senior campaign, Huff led Memphis in tackles for loss with 15.5, 6.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.
Football Family
Football is a family game for Bryce Huff.
Bryce’s brother, Jordan, was an all-conference running back at Northern Illinois University back in 2017. During his career at NIU, the elder Huff compiled 2,711 career all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns. He finished his college football career with seven 100-yard games and 20 rushing touchdowns.
What he brings to the table
Bryce Huff is an intimidating edge defender with the explosiveness, burst and strength to be a pass-rushing threat at the next level. Over the past two seasons, Huff recorded 16 sacks, proving to be a more than capable edge rusher at Memphis.
Huff has all the traits to become a contributor on defense for New York but needs some refining. He can be a hand-down or stand-up defender at the next level, but his translatable athletic traits best project him to be a 3-4 outside linebacker — perfect for Gregg Williams’ defense.
Flipping the Script
Originally, Bryce Huff was set to stay in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama after announcing his commitment to the University of South Alabama. Huff chose South Alabama over offers from Troy, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern and Louisiana-Lafayette.
At St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, Huff was an all-state selection, primarily playing on the defensive line. He went a bit under-recruited after helping lead his team to back-to-back Class 5A state titles.
That changed after newly hired Memphis’ head coach Mike Norvell made Huff a top priority for his first recruiting class. After making a major push for him, Norvell was able to get Huff to flip his commitment to Memphis.
