Scouting New York Jets UDFA linebacker Jared Bartlett

The New York Jets not too long ago signed former Cincinnati linebacker Jared Bartlett as an undrafted free agent. At this time we break Bartlett down intimately.

The 24-year outdated Bartlett is listed at 6’2” and 237 kilos and was an honorable point out all-Massive 12 choice final yr after having transferred from West Virginia. He had 204 tackles and 21.5 sacks in his six-year faculty profession.

Background

Bartlett was a three-star highschool recruit who redshirted his first season at West Virginia after having performed 152 snaps and recorded 9 tackles and 6 pressures in 4 video games.

In 2020, he moved right into a rotational function, though he did begin two of 10 video games as he registered 24 tackles and three.5 sacks. 2021 noticed him in an identical function and he seemed to have damaged out when he racked up three sacks towards Virginia Tech in an early season recreation. Nevertheless, he ended the season with simply 3.5 sacks. In all, he began three of 13 video games and had 31 tackles.

2022 as soon as once more noticed Bartlett largely in a rotational function as he made two begins and ended up with 26 tackles and a pair of.5 sacks. Nevertheless, his enjoying time elevated in 2023 and he began each recreation on the bandit place to finish up with 49 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

On the finish of the 2024 season, Bartlett entered the switch portal and ended up with Cincinnati, who moved him to an off-ball function and put him within the beginning line-up. He was an all-Massive 12 honorable point out after racking up 69 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and three go breakups, all of which have been profession marks.

After Bartlett went undrafted, the Jets signed him to an undrafted free agent take care of $72,500 of assured cash.

Let’s transfer on to some extra in-depth evaluation of what Bartlett brings to the desk as a participant, based mostly on intensive analysis and movie research.

Measurables/Athleticism

Having performed nearer to the road of scrimmage earlier on in his profession, Bartlett has good power and size for an off-ball function.

Bartlett put collectively a strong set of exercise numbers at his professional day as he ran a 4.65 within the 40-yard sprint and posted 19 bench press reps. His explosiveness and agility numbers have been about common.

Utilization

Bartlett performed the bandit function at West Virginia, which is a singular place that sees him positioned on the line of scrimmage as an edge rusher, but in addition dropping off into protection or selecting up a person within the slot now and again. Within the NFL, this could be closest to a 3-4 outdoors linebacker function in a system like Pittsburgh’s however wouldn’t match cleanly into the defensive schemes for many groups, together with the Jets.

He responded properly to the transfer with the Bearcats, which noticed him enjoying off the ball as an inside linebacker. It is sensible that this will probably be his NFL place too.

Run protection

Bartlett had a productive yr as a run defender in 2024, as he responded properly to the place change and posted simply one of the best run protection grade of his profession in keeping with Professional Soccer Focus. He was fourth within the Massive 12 with 11.5 tackles for loss.

He reveals the power to go sideline-to-sideline and to be relentless as he chases down performs in pursuit.

Bartlett can also be able to attacking the road of scrimmage and avoiding blockers to get to the ball provider.

When enjoying on the sting, he was much less efficient and sometimes blocked out of performs, however he was nonetheless in a position to make use of his quickness and play recognition to make an influence at occasions.

Protection expertise

Regardless of enjoying up on the line, Bartlett usually dropped into protection a number of occasions per recreation at West Virginia, which ready him properly for transferring into an off-ball function.

He didn’t intercept any passes and averaged lower than one go defensed per season however did a superb job of limiting yardage beneath as he gave up simply 10 yards per reception.

For his profession as a complete, Bartlett allowed an 84 % completion price when focused however didn’t hand over many large performs and was solely overwhelmed for one landing.

Tackling

Bartlett’s missed sort out share was increased than you’d ideally wish to see, though it dropped from 2022 to 2023 and once more from 2023 to 2024. He did have a career-high 15 missed tackles final yr, although.

Though he solely had two pressured fumbles in his profession, Bartlett closes impressively, has good vary and might cease a runner in his tracks.

Blitzing

Regardless of transferring into an off-ball function final yr and speeding the passer lots lower than prior to now, Bartlett posted a career-high in sacks, maybe benefiting from the go speeding expertise he developed whereas enjoying on the sting at West Virginia.

A number of his sack manufacturing truly got here from spying the quarterback after which chasing him down behind the road of scrimmage when he opted to scramble, although.

Bartlett was usually in a clean-up function at West Virginia, however did develop the go rush expertise to win a one-on-one matchup and posted strong strain percentages in that function.

He additionally batted two passes down on the line final season.

Particular groups

Bartlett has loads of particular groups expertise with 585 particular groups snaps performed over the course of his profession. He ended up with 11 particular groups tackles.

Bartlett, who additionally rushed kicks and blocked in punt safety and on the kick return models, additionally had six missed tackles – 5 of which have been in 2023 – and three penalties.

Physicality

Bartlett’s expertise of blending it up with offensive linemen within the trenches serves him properly as an off-ball linebacker. He’s not shy about taking over blockers aggressively.

Nevertheless, he would in all probability be too light-weight to play up on the line on the NFL degree. He bought trucked on the aim line on this play.

Instincts/Intelligence

Bartlett’s play recognition is an space that basically stands out. He’s mentioned to have developed a eager understanding of quarterback tendencies and does a number of preparation work. The actual fact he has performed a number of positions helps right here too.

Within the recreation the place he had three sacks in 2021, which noticed him incomes the Massive 12 defensive participant of the week award, his coaches credited him with having gone to the sideline to advise them of a selected element in regards to the opposing workforce’s blocking scheme. They factored this info right into a strategic change that freed Bartlett as much as have that large recreation.

He blows up a display screen go beautifully on this play, expertly studying the play and avoiding a blocker in house.

There have been admittedly a couple of protection busts which Bartlett was concerned in, however none of those have been clearly his fault.

Perspective

Bartlett is a participant who has labored exhausting at his fundamentals and approach, whereas growing right into a vocal chief at each Cincinnati and West Virginia. He’s considered a real skilled with toughness and resilience.

His on-field self-discipline was good with simply 4 defensive penalties in his profession. Since 2020, his solely penalties have been for roughing the passer and offside.

He comes from NFL pedigree as his half-brother is Steelers starter Stephon Tuitt. Nevertheless, he’s needed to take care of some adversity in his private life as his different brother was killed in a automobile crash in 2021 and his father died all of the sudden earlier than the 2024 season.

He received the Iron Mountaineer Award at West Virginia in 2022.

Accidents

Bartlett performed in 61 video games in his faculty profession, so accidents clearly didn’t have an effect on him too badly. He missed one recreation as a consequence of an undisclosed harm in 2021 and had minor accidents that knocked him out of video games in 2023 and 2024 however didn’t trigger him to overlook any begins. One was a shoulder/arm harm.

Scheme Match

It could make sense for Bartlett to begin alongside Boog Smith on the third unit as their skill-sets ought to complement one another properly with Smith taking the Mike function and Bartlett including some physicality and smarts alongside him.

The expertise when it comes to enjoying on the sting could be helpful in sure conditions however isn’t more likely to be one thing that dramatically impacts his fundamental function.

Conclusions

Bartlett isn’t the primary participant to make the transition from edge defender to an off-ball function. Mike Vrabel is an efficient instance of somebody who was capable of begin video games in each roles and when he performed off the ball, he exploited the attacking mentality and physicality he was used to from enjoying on the road.

In current occasions, gamers like Bryce Huff and Frankie Luvu have come by way of the Jets system with an identical tweener repute as a consequence of missing perfect dimension to play a full time function on the sting. Every had success though their careers have taken completely different paths.

Whereas Bartlett is among the extra unheralded members of the Jets’ 2025 undrafted rookie haul, his play recognition does stand out on movie, so he will probably be seeking to showcase that to make an impression. He’s positively a long-shot for something greater than a follow squad slot, although.