Jets LB Jamien Sherwood routinely features high-level football IQ

New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood, the 146th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has more on his plate than most rookies. Not only will Sherwood be making the transition from amateur to professional, but he’ll also be transitioning from safety to linebacker. Sherwood, a swiss-army-knife for Auburn in his lone season as a starter, played no more than 28% of his snaps at a single position, according to Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania. Rather, Sherwood’s role changed based on down and distance, offensive formation, and game situation. On first down, he mainly played free safety and covered the deep middle. On second down, he played strong safety or slot cornerback and covered the flats-curl zone. On third down, he assumed MIKE linebacker duties and covered running backs and tight ends. Even still, his responsibility could change at any moment if the offense used motion or changed their play-call. Playing six different positions, Sherwood couldn’t simply learn one role, he had to learn the entire defense. A