While most players enter rookie minicamp itching to take the field, Jets seventh-round draft choice Charone Peake is eager to dive into the playbook. "I think for me, just getting the playbook down is my main goal," Peake said today before the first practice. "You can't really get on the field unless you know what you're doing, so that's kind of my main goal that I've been working on."
While Peake noted similarities between the scheme at Clemson and Jets coordinator Chan Gailey's offense, there are still significant differences. "It's a lot of different terms I just got to get used to," he said. "And that's my main thing right now, but at the end of the day it's still football."
On the field, Peake has a rare blend of size (6'2") and speed (4.45 forty). While some experts were worried about his knee injuries affecting his speed, he said he has been clocked as fast as 4.19 at a workout last summer in Death Valley. He also added in his postdraft conference call he is "100 percent" healthy.
Even though Peake understands his size is advantageous, he believes he is not perceived as a physical threat. "I think people look at me and they see I'm skinny, but it's not really size that matters, but how you think and how physical you play and how confident you are in yourself," he said.
Furthermore, he plans on displaying his physicality in the run game: "I'm very confident in my blocking abilities. It's more mental than anything, it's a matter of want to."
The desire that Peake alluded to stems from his days as a Tiger when he practiced with future pro receivers DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Sammy Watkins (Bills) and Martavis Bryant (Steelers) on a daily basis. "You have the chance to get better just being around those guys," Peake said. "Just taking different things from their game and put it into mine trying to make myself better."
While Peake's name may have become lost in the shuffle the past few years at Clemson, something prevalent is his sense of fashion, similar to Hopkins. When asked what he was most excited about, being close to Manhattan, he said, "Probably the fashion. I want to get to some of the different stores and see what's different."
Of the seven players the Green & White selected this year, Peake is one of the more interesting prospects. GM Mike Maccagnan has said there is always some surprise in the draft. Some experts projected Peake to be selected as high as the third round, one of the many reasons Maccagnan explained, "He's a kid we felt very fortunate to have available at that point in time in the draft in terms of potential value and return on the pick."
Today at rookie minicamp, Peake, covered by fourth-round corner Juston Burris, caught an underthrown ball for 30 yards, showing a little bit of his aggressive attitude with the ball in the air.
