This was the imaginative and prescient Isaiah Oliver signed up for.
His versatility had turn out to be a power by the point he inked a one-year cope with the Jets within the offseason.
Then-defensive coordinator and present interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich knew about Oliver’s talent set, too, from their three years of overlap with the Falcons.
It could be a protracted season. Gang Inexperienced may use somebody capable of shuttle between nickel nook, outdoors nook and security — “regardless of the case could also be,” Oliver mentioned Friday.
So getting into their Week 7 recreation in opposition to the Steelers, Oliver’s versatility has made him an indispensable piece of a Jets secondary — at the very least for now, till the starters return — making an attempt to cobble collectively a rotation with beginning nickel nook Michael Carter II (again) already dominated out, security Chuck Clark (ankle) on injured reserve and D.J. Reed (groin) a game-time determination after not training all week.
He logged 60 and 54 p.c of the defensive snaps the final two weeks, and can doubtless play the majority of them on the nickel spot once more Sunday.
However, if wanted, the Jets know they’ll shift Oliver round to different spots, too.
“Whether or not that’s me enjoying security, me enjoying nickel whereas [Carter’s] out, going to nook as a result of D.J.’s down, regardless of the case could also be, simply actually simply maximizing that chance in that sense to the place you’ll be able to play good protection after which hopefully play good soccer as a staff and get a win,” Oliver mentioned.
When Oliver signed with the Jets, by means of OTAs and into coaching camp, he targeted on studying the security portion of their defensive playbook.
The previous second-round choose spent the 2023 season with the 49ers — the place he went after 5 seasons, 62 video games and 38 begins with the Falcons — largely enjoying nickel, and given their system’s similarities to the one utilized by Gang Inexperienced, he targeted on one other place to start out.
Nonetheless, the nickel spot was the place his first main alternative ended up materializing.
Oliver performed nearly all of the Jets defensive snaps throughout their loss to the Vikings in London when Carter exited after one snap, and through their loss to the Payments eight days later, he produced a vital go breakup with the sport tied within the fourth quarter and Buffalo driving.
He lined up inside in opposition to wideout Mack Hollins and wanted to recuperate after the snap, figuring out that the ball would doubtless head to Hollins with the Payments blitzing Josh Allen.
Oliver compelled an incompletion and the Payments finally settled for a subject purpose, giving the Jets offense a remaining probability.
It marked the newest instance of Oliver being the Jets’ “Swiss Military knife,” as Ulbrich known as him earlier this week. And Sunday, they’ll want it once more.
“He’s such a priceless asset in that method,” Ulbrich mentioned Friday.
