Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson signed a long-term deal with the Jets just before last summer’s deadline for players with franchise tags to do so, but that turned out to be the highlight of his season.
Wilkerson broke his leg in the final game of the 2015 season, got benched for part of a game after missing team meetings and struggled to find his form all year. Wilkerson downplayed the impact of the injury at points last season, but ultimately missed time with an ankle problem related to the break and limped to the finish along with the rest of the Jets.
Wilkerson has been a full participant in OTAs after feeling he “didn’t have the get-off and change of direction” last season and says he’s feeling much healthier than he was at this point last year.
“My leg is definitely feeling way better now than it did last year at this point,” Wilkerson said, via the Jets website. “It feels great, so I’m definitely looking forward to being who I was before the injury.”
The Jets had high hopes for their defensive line last season, but Sheldon Richardson joined Wilkerson in having a disappointing year. While getting them back on track might not be enough to lead to a winning season, it would make for a more competitive team than they fielded for much of last season.