ESPN recently published an article detailing rookies who landed in ideal spots, value picks who could play early and Day 3 picks who could be steals. Staff writer Matt Bowen, who played safety in the NFL for seven seasons, believes Jets LB Hamsah Nasirildeen was a steal on Day 3.
"The 6-foot-3 Nasirildeen has the physical traits to find a role in Robert Saleh's defense as a hybrid linebacker/sub-package defender," Bowen wrote. "I see 'forward ability' on the tape with Nasirildeen -- he drops to depth and explodes downhill on the ball. That fits today's game with rangy, dime/nickel defenders who can play in space. Nasirildeen also has the speed to develop quickly as a special-teams-coverage player in New York."
Nasirildeen was selected in the sixth round, No. 186 overall, out of Florida State. He started 17 games over the past three seasons for the Seminoles, but he only played in two games in 2020 after hurting his knee at the end of the 2019 season. That year, he led FSU with 101 tackles and became the first Florida State player since 2014 to record 100 tackles in a season. He was also the first since 1990 to have multiple 17-tackle games in one season.
"I feel like the Jets got a first-round talent with myself," Nasirildeen told Jets reporters after he was drafted, "and the way I'm coming to work, I feel like they got a dog mentally. I just want to go out and show everybody what I can do, what type of player I am, what type of man I am, and let everything play out the way it's supposed to."
Nasirildeen, who played safety in college, said of his transition to LB: "I feel like playing in the box is the best part of my game, so I feel like it's going to translate well."
