Jabari Zuniga is confident the Jets are getting great value after using the 79th overall pick in the third round on the Florida edge.
If Zuniga made any lasting impressions from his conference call with reporters on Friday, it’s that he has a boatload of confidence in himself. He made it clear that the Jets got a bargain with their selection.
“I definitely consider myself the steal of the draft,” Zuniga said. He also referred to himself as a “stud.”
While Zuniga’s four years at Florida were lackluster due to various injuries, he proved just how much of a “stud” he can be coming out of the gate in 2019. Zuniga compiled 14 tackles, seven for loss and three sacks in just six games before he battled a high-ankle sprain for the rest of the season.
Still, the Jets’ front office remains impressed by what Zuniga shows on tape. One word that stood out? Explosiveness.
“When you’re watching tape on Jabari, his explosiveness jumps off the tape.” Joe Douglas told reporters, following the commencement of Day 2. “He can really disrupt gaps. He’s an edge presence… He’s been a consistent producer in his four years at Florida, even with the (ankle) injury.”
Assistant general manager Rex Hogan praised Zuniga’s “explosiveness and twitch” to go along with his versatility.
With Zuniga, it’s hard not to buy into his flashes of potential. He can play up and down the defensive line,has the NFL look of an edge rusher at 6-foot-3, 263 pounds and his 4.64 40-yard dash time and 29 reps on the bench press point to a combination of speed and strength.
Throw in his own personal expectations, and the Jets have just found themselves a steal.
