North Jersey's Top Defenders from Week 5

If you're looking for some defenders that absolutely balled out in Week 5, then you've come to the right place. Across the state we saw players stand out from the crowd and make lasting impressions on scouts, but in this edition we will strictly zero in on the northern part of the state.    [player_tooltip player_id='1032189' first='Shakur' last='Taylor'] is once again building buzz for East Orange. Not only is Shakur one of the main dynamic weapons on East Orange's offense, but he also played a huge role as a defensive back this past weekend. Squaring off against Bloomfield, East Orange shut out their opponent with exceptional play on all three levels. In the secondary, [player_tooltip player_id='1032189' first='Shakur' last='Taylor'] once again impressed by picking the ball off two times that evening. Shakur is an intimidating presence lined up in the defensive backfield. His sudden change of direction capabilities and ability to stay glued to the receiver as they make their way downfield makes it extremely difficult for QBs to throw in his direction. While his height isn't necessarily what you'd expect from a lockdown defender, Shakur is everything you're looking for in a quick, nimble DB.     [player_tooltip player_id='1546518' first='Aidan' last='Rotbaum'] has really stepped it up for Nutley over the last few weeks. While Aidan has found success early on in his career as a tackler (33 tackles so far this season), it is Aidan's presence in the backfield that has become more pronounced over the last two weeks. While Nutley may have lost two weeks ago to West Essex, they bounced back last weekend with a 21-12 victory over Millburn. However, in both of those contests Aidan showed that he is growing into a legitimate pass rusher. In the past two games, Aidan has combined for a total of 5 sacks (3 against Millburn.) While there are no highlights to evaluate quite yet, these stats alone make it necessary to keep an eye on Aidan in the future.     [player_tooltip player_id='1092353' first='Zak' last='Darwish'] is on a mission to get involved in every tackle possible this season. In his latest effort, Zak racked up his stats by bringing the ball carrier down 16 times. Built as an athletic, powerful linebacker, standing at 6'0" and 215 lb Zak can take command of the center of the field and make it a barrier that is not easily broken. Zak consistently delivers punishing hits to opposing ball carriers, rarely letting them get away once their within his grasps. However, what impresses me the most in how Zak plays the position is how quickly he reacts to the play and the speed he has as he moves laterally across the field. Zak is one of the quicker linebackers that I have seen when he scrapes laterally and then charges upfield. Not only has he demonstrated a strong ability to fill the gaps, but has also proved to be an asset downfield as his speed allows him to chase RBs down from behind. Zak deserves some D1 looks.      A new name to the list, [player_tooltip player_id='1524804' first='Leo' last='Lima'] is making his presence known out of Whippany Park. A senior defensive tackle, Leo was able to apply pressure to North Warren's quarterback all evening long and was able to bring them to the ground twice Friday night. While he doesn't have elite speed off of the line, Leo's aggressive hand usage allows him to drive linemen back and out of the way in order to clear his path to the QB and ball carrier. Leo has played a prominent role on Whippany Park's defensive front, forcing runners to bounce it to the outside when he clogs up the hole. While he is already a senior, Leo still deserves a lot of recognition for what he accomplished in his latest outing.      Don't look now, but Hanover Park is rolling. Undefeated after the first 5 games of 2024, Hanover Park has been dominating on each side of the ball so far, and that trend continued in Week 5 against Pequannock. In the one sided 41-9 win, Hanover Park held undefeated Pequannock's offense to only one touchdown. Shutting them down on all fronts, Hanover Park's [player_tooltip player_id='1522105' first='Azaad' last='Parks'] in particular played a huge part in keeping Pequannock's passing offense at bay. Azaad was able to get to the opposing QB 3 times, increasing his total for the year to 5.   Azaad is a young defensive end that is only going to get better with time. With his height and speed, I could see Azaad shifting more into an OLB position in the future. Until then, I am sure he will continue finding his way into the backfield to apply pressure to opposing QBs.     If you're noticing a trend through my recent articles, nice job. If not, that trend is how favorable I view the Hackettstown roster and their recent performance against Kittatinny. In the 34-13 victory, players on each side of the ball absolutely balled out and heard their names called often over the speaker. On the defensive side of the ball, that name that you heard on nearly every play was [player_tooltip player_id='1522100' first='Kyle' last='Edwards']. Kyle found his way into every gang tackle possible, as he finished the evening with 25 total tackles. Kyle flew all across the field in pursuit of the ball carrier, making sure to never stop until the whistle was blown. Even more impressive, Kyle has been doing this all season long. Through only 5 games Kyle has already amassed 88 tackles (17.6 tackles per game.) However, what was even more impactful in the Kittatinny game was Kyle's ability to apply pressure to the pocket when he came in on the blitz. Kyle was able to get to the quarterback twice last Friday, stalling any hope of his opponent advancing the ball.

If you're looking for some defenders that absolutely balled out in Week 5, then you've come to the right place. Across the state we saw players stand out from the crowd and make lasting impressions on scouts, but in this edition we will strictly zero in on the northern part of the state.