New York Jets

Former Louisville football player Lorenzo Mauldin struggling with Jets

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

In his second season with the New York Jets, former Louisville football player Lorenzo Mauldin isn’t quite living up to expectations.

Unfortunately for the former Louisville football product, Lorenzo Mauldin is not playing to his full attention so far in the National Football League. Unlike fellow New York Jet Bilal Powell, Mauldin isn’t producing and the coaching staff is taking notice.

According to ESPN, in only four games this season, Mauldin has only been able to bring down the quarterback 1.5 times and six combined tackles. In a defense loaded with talent, it looks like Mauldin is falling to the back of the pack.

Darryl Slater from NewJersey.com wrote an article earlier this morning about why Mauldin isn’t getting more playing time. This is what he had to say:

“In terms of playing time (or lack thereof), one of the more notable parts of the Jets‘ 1-3 start is the relative absence of second-year outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin. He hasn’t been the every-down player he hoped he’d be. Lately, he has barely been the pass-rushing specialist he was last season.”

Slater also had these quotes in his article about Mauldin:

“Jets coach Todd Bowles said Mauldin isn’t playing a lot because the coaches want to maximize the playing time of their four talented defensive linemen: Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, and Steve McLendon.”

“Our defensive line has four good football players,” Bowles said. “And we’re playing four good football players — not that Lorenzo isn’t — right now. Our most dynamic four football players up front, in the [front] seven, is our defensive line.”

I recommend that you go and check out Slater’s full article about Mauldin here. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t been able to produce so far this season, but again, it’s not like the Jets have given him many opportunities to produce in games during 2016.

They are 1-3 for crying out loud, whatever they are doing isn’t working. The Jets are giving up at least 23 points in every game they have played this season. He was a star for the Louisville football team and he has a place in the NFL, it just may not be with the New York Jets.