IDP Spotlight: CB Darrelle Revis, New York Jets

  Posted 7/21 by Bob Magaw, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

Revis has a lot going for him. He is a phenomenal athlete, extremely talented, has elite pedigree (1.14 - 2007) and proven pro production... a winning combination. He was the consensus top CB in the 2007 draft (above the slightly lower graded Leon Hall). Trading up was a gutsy call for the Jets (with multiple holes on both sides of the ball), but his play on the field vindicated the front office and coaching staff and made the move look prescient.

Revis has a very promising arc and trajectory to his career. He led his prep team to the state championship, scoring a state divisional record 5 TDs in the finals, and was also All-State in basketball, averaging 25 PPG his last two seasons. A Freshman All-American at Pitt, he concluded a stellar collegiate career as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe and Bronco Nagurski awards (given to the player/s voted the nation's top DB and overall defensive player, respectively). His decision to leave school a year early was rewarded by being selected in the top half of the 1st round in 2007.
He has freakish measurables, including a 4.3 40 along with a stratospheric 38" vertical jump. Revis also has NFL bloodlines, and is the nephew of former DT Sean Gilbert. He has had the benefit of Gilbert's first hand experience and mentoring to prepare him for each level of the process as he has matriculated from prep-college-pro success. All the stars seem to be lined up for a luminous NFL career.

Positives

• Revis not only has formidable athleticism with elite measurables, but has shown the ability to translate them onto the football field, and is a willing and able tackler, who has proven rugged and hard-nosed in run support.
• If the offense improves as expected (high profile free agent OL Alan Faneca and Damien Woody were added), he could see more playmaking opps... and if QB struggles continue to hold the offense back, that will translate to more snaps and tackle opps for the defense.
• The addition of upgrades at 3-4 OLB with Calvin Pace in free agency and Vernon Gholston (sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft) could pressure opposing QBs into coughing up a few more INTs over the course of a season.
• Revis is a playmaker with big time return skills who is extremely dangerous in the open field with the ball in his hands, and always a threat to take it to the house.

Negatives

• Revis may not be picked on as much this season after proving himself in coverage
• He is clearly the top CB on the roster, increasing the chance opponents game plan around him in the passing game, and QBs steer away from him.
• If the Jets are significantly better on offense in 2008, it could limit the upside on his snaps.
• Revis is very early into his pro career, fell off statistically in his rookie 2007 season second half split and needs to prove he can withstand the rigors and physical pounding a CB active in run support is subjected to.
  

Final Thoughts

Despite all the prep and collegiate accolades, you never know how a prospect's skill set will translate to the next level, until the rubber hits the road. The elevation in competition due to the far superior speed, strength, athleticism and talent of the opposition is a withering test of not only a prospect's physical tools, but also intangibles such as football IQ and toughness, that separates the great from the mediocre.

Based on his incendiary NFL debut, it is safe to say Revis passed the test. He was top 10 in tackles (74 solos) and top 5 in PD (17) among all CBs in 2007, and his 3 INTs were second among rookie CBs only to the nearly similarly gifted Hall. Coupling the arc and trajectory of his brilliant prep and collegiate career with his exceptional pro production could portend great things for this emerging talent and ascendant star. Last season's top 10 finish among CBs doesn't look like a fluke and if Revis continues to improve, he seems destined to become a Pro Bowl caliber CB.

For IDP purposes, his increased notoriety among opposing QBs as a feared playmaker may well lead to him being targeted less. However, his increased pro experience and acclimation to the massively greater speed and complexity at the next level may enable him to more fully unleash his ridiculous athleticism and ball skills, and enable him to do more with those playmaking opportunities he is afforded.

Quotes from the IDP Spotlight Message Thread

To view the entire thread, click here.

obxlegends:
"First off let me have full disclosure here; I LOVE D-Rev's game. Sean Gilbert's nephew exploded onto the scene last year with his 74 tackles 13 assists and 3 INTs. He also had 17 passes defensed, which ranked him within the Top 5 CBs in 2007. Revis is strong against the run. I think I'm developing a man crush.

Cornerbacks are one of the more difficult positions to judge. Whenever I judge a corner, the first thing I look for is who's playing on the other side of him. Then I look for how much time you think he will be on the field. Then finally I look at his willingness to play the run. Last year Revis was a rookie and he got picked on some. His coverage game is still maturing. This year he'll be the more respected of the corners which is a bad sign fantasy wise. However, this should not hurt him too much as I'm sure the Jets will be mediocre. Expect about the same amount of tackles, but a bump in big plays.

I think the drop in targets will be offset by the additions of Pace, Gholston and a motivated Thomas. I see a lot more quick/bad throws this year, whereas last year teams could target a side of the field. I also believe, if I'm not mistaken, he got banged up at the end of the year and played through it. This may have affected his game. Either way he's a willing tackler, which for a CB is half the battle."

Rozelle:
"I don't believe I've ever seen Revis play. I know I liked what I read on him coming out of Pitt and was hoping he would go to a zone team. Looking back at his numbers last year, he had a significant drop off in the 2nd half. I assume he proved himself and was targeted less as a result. If he is a good cover corner, his numbers will drop … you can pretty much count on it. If he struggles in coverage, a move to S may be in the cards, as he fits the mold of today's NFL safeties. Just looking at his splits (halves and quarters), it seems to me he earned some respect as his tackle numbers decreased each quarter.

Having no Jet players, I just don't watch or follow them, but I'm going to make a point to watch a few Jets games this year because I'd like to see Revis and a few others. If he was on a zone team, he'd probably be one of the top IDP DBs in the game. I'm just not sure about big tackle numbers in that defense (as long as he's doing his job at corner).

For what it's worth, here's Ty Law's tackle numbers during his heyday in NE under Belichick:

• 2003 61-13
• 2002 60-17
• 2001 60-10
• 2000 63-11

Revis is probably more physical and better in run support, so I suppose he could flirt with 60-70 solos."

Aaron Rudnicki:
"Given the drop-off we saw in tackles from Revis in the second half last year, along with the Jets possibly starting Justin Miller opposite him this year, I think he'll have a hard time replicating the 74 solo tackles he finished with last year. Given his willingness and ability to come up in run support, however, he should still easily top 60 solos. He looked like a much more confident player in the second half of his rookie season and I think we'll see that trend continue. Revis does a great job of tracking the ball when it is in the air and batting down a lot of passes even when he can't intercept them, but he has the potential to be a bigtime playmaker as well. The upgrades the Jets made to their pass rush this year should give him a reasonable chance at 5 or 6 interceptions. If that happens, he should wind up as a top-10 CB for the 2nd year in a row."

Weiner Dog:
"'Good' corners are tough players to predict. On one hand, they usually cover the opposition's #1 WR and usually see anywhere from 8-14 targets per game. The opposition will throw at these "good" CBs until the "good" CB becomes a "really, really good" CB.

Once Revis becomes a "really, really good" CB, I fear his targets will decrease. If you sprinkle in the uncertainty of the Jets #2 CB, I believe Revis' stats will fall slightly from his impressive rookie campaign. This is not Revis' fault...unless you're Antoine Winfield, Ronde Barber (of yesteryear) or Champ Bailey, it's difficult for CBs to consistently post top-caliber stats.

On a positive note, I believe Revis will see an uptick with his INTs. The Jets added an impressive pass-rush in the form of Pace and Gholston and I see Josh McCown (...Henne or Beck) and Trent Edwards falling victim multiple times."

Chachi:
"Darrelle Revis is somebody I would target as a backup in leagues where you must start corners and safeties this year, I wouldn't want him in a dynasty league no matter what the starting lineup requirements. With his play improving his numbers dropped off considerably and that's never a good sign for an ultra talented blue chip cornerback. Down the stretch, he had a lot of weak statistical games and I'm sure the Jets team was pleased to see this happen. I see him as a DeAngelo Hall type of fantasy player in the future, some really great games and some real bombs with there being no real way to guess what type of game is coming up in any given week. I watched a couple of Jets games later on in the year and think Revis is going to end up being one of the better corners in the league by season's end. I am high on him as a football player, not as a fantasy play."

Projections

IDP Scoring System

• 1.5 pts per Solo Tackle
• 0.75 pts per Assisted Tackle
• 4 pts per Sack
• 4 pts per Forced Fumble
• 4 pts per Fumble Recovery
• 5 pts per Interception
• 1.5 pts per Pass Defensed
• 6 pts per Touchdown
• 2 pts per Safety