Leki

Fotu

In addition to Fotu, DBs Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) did not practice on Tuesday. The non-participation is a troubling sign that all three defenders will be inactive on a short week against the Texans for Thursday Night Football Week 9.

Fotu has missed the first four games of the season and will be making his Jets debut. He came over from the Cardinals this offseason as a free agent. Fotu had 2.5 sacks and five TFLs in 11 games for the Cardinals in 2023.

Mosley was limited in practice throughout the week but likely needs another seven days to fully recover. Defensive lineman Leki Fotu remains out as well.

Saleh said that the team was hopeful he’d be ready to go by Week 2 or Week 3 but that the lack of practice ahead of Week 3’s Thursday night contest against the Patriots was the deciding factor in stretching Fotu’s absence until Week 4. Fotu joined the Jets this offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Cardinals. In 56 games, he’s totaled 89 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks while also making 21 starts.

The former fourth-round pick is coming off his best year as a Cardinal, notching 2.5 sacks and five TFLs in just 11 games, nine of which were starts. Both marks were career highs for the big man despite him missing six games. Fotu will serve as a rotational player and a depth piece for the Jets’ defensive line in 2024.

Fotu (6’5/330) was a captain and two-year starting nose tackle at Utah who earned back-to-back first-team All-Pac 12 honors. He can explode out of his four-point stance but carries too much weight and stands up too upright to be a more efficient pass rusher. Most of his pass rushers are simple bullrushes, so further development is required, although he’ll likely never be a productive pass rusher. He only had 4.0 sacks and 13.5 TFLs across his last two seasons. Despite the below-average production, Fotu does show up on tape as a powerful gap-plugger and should compete for nose tackle snaps in the NFL, particularly on rushing downs.

Fotu (6’5/330) was a captain and two-year starting nose tackle at Utah who earned back-to-back first-team All-Pac 12 honors. He can explode out of his four-point stance but carries too much weight and stands up too upright to be a more efficient pass rusher. Most of his pass rushers are simple bullrushes, so further development is required, although he’ll likely never be a productive pass rusher. He only had 4.0 sacks and 13.5 TFLs across his last two seasons. Despite the below-average production, Fotu does show up on tape as a powerful gap-plugger and should compete for nose tackle snaps in the NFL, particularly on rushing downs.

“Despite being an incredible physical specimen who flashed brilliance at times,” Pauline writes of the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Utah product, “Fotu is too inconsistent for next-level decision makers who say he never met expectations. League sources talk about a motor that runs hot and cold as well as the inability to shed blocks against lesser opponents.” Based on ability alone, Pauline believes a third-round selection could be in Fotu’s immediate future. But the analyst notes that Fotu could have been in play for the first round if he had shown a little more in college.

Fotu (6'5/330) only took part in the 40-yard dash and bench press portions of the NFL Scouting Combine, recording a time of 5.15 seconds in the former and 21 reps in the latter. As for his pro potential, the former Utah defensive tackle projects to be a Day 3 selection come April. “He needs to play with better bend and more consistent anchor to squeeze the interior and fulfill his potential as a run-plugger,” Zierlein wrote. “His draft value could be capped because he’s an early down player who offers no real rush value.”

Fotu’s acceptance announcement came a day later than a couple of other Utah players, but it great to see that Fotu is not passing up on the event. As a 6-foot-5, 327-pound behemoth in the middle, Fotu is not going to blow scouts away in 1-on-1 pass rush drills, but his ability to stuff the run in team sessions will be something to look for. Fotu has 5.5 tackles for loss this season.