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Nathan Shepherd jumped off the defensive line Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey , got into the New York Jets‘ backfield and saw Sam Darnold standing just a few feet away.

Then, the third-round draft pick put on the brakes.

”Oh, I stayed away from him,” a smiling Shepherd said of Darnold on Saturday during rookie minicamp. ”No sir. You see the red (jersey) and you turn the other way.”

Quarterbacks are off-limits to contact in NFL practices, so would-be sack-happy defenders such as Shepherd need to tread lightly – especially when the No. 3 overall pick and future of the franchise is in the pocket.

But games are another story, of course, and the Jets will be counting on Shepherd and fellow rookie Folorunso Fatukasi to help make Sundays miserable for opposing offenses. New York went big in the draft – after taking Darnold in the first round – by adding heft to its defensive line.

Over 630 pounds worth.

Shepherd is a 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Fort Hays State. Fatukasi, a sixth-rounder from UConn, is 6-3 and 318.

”Same size, different players,” coach Todd Bowles said last week after the draft.

Shepherd and Fatukasi could get plenty of opportunities to play as rookies. Bowles said both can play nose tackle and spell Leonard Williams at defensive end, and the Jets will have them slotted for certain roles depending on what defensive scheme they want to use.

They might also be able to help offset the loss of Muhammad Wilkerson, who was cut during the offseason and has since signed with Green Bay. The Jets still have Williams and Steve McLendon on their defensive line, as well as Mike Pennel, Xavier Cooper and Henry Anderson Ronnie Harrison Jersey Jaguars , who was acquired in a draft-day deal with Indianapolis.

”I think that whatever the opportunity the Jets have for me is going to be more than enough for me,” Shepherd said. ”If they need help in a certain area, then I would certainly feel honored that they would come and look to me for that.”

Boosting a pass rush that has struggled to consistently get to the quarterback the last few seasons might be one.

”We’ll see,” Bowles said of Shepherd. ”We expect him to have an impact as a defensive lineman, but sacks come differently for different people. As long as he does what he is supposed to do, which we’re sure he will, we’ll get better and we’ll see where the pass rush is and if the sacks come.”

Shepherd is a study in patience and perseverance . The native of Ontario, Canada, redshirted his first season at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and then became a starter before leaving school for financial reasons.

Shepherd worked several side jobs for the next two years, dreaming of returning to football someday while fighting to keep motivated every day.

”Yeah, most mornings,” he said. ”You’re thinking, `OK, I’ve got to go to work and this check isn’t really doing anything to improve my life today, that I can see.’ So, that was difficult Authentic Devin Hester Jersey , but you’ve just got to keep the dream alive and know that you’re that much closer.”

Shepherd landed at Fort Hays State in Kansas in 2015, became a starter and was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association defensive player of the year as a senior. He finished his three-year career at Fort Hays with 168 tackles, including 27 for loss, and 10 sacks.

Now, he’s in the NFL – something he’s still trying to grasp.

”I was fortunate enough to be able to keep my same number, so I’ll be No. 97,” he said. ”I have my jersey from college, so I think when I take that picture of my college jersey and my pro jersey, that moment will sink in for me.”

For Fatukasi, this marks sort of a homecoming. He grew up in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, New York, and ended up going to UConn. He went through three coaching changes while he was there but thrived despite the constant turnover.

He had 45 tackles, including 7 for losses, as a senior and was tied for second on the Huskies with four sacks. Fatukasi finished his college career with 168 tackles and 14 sacks in 48 games while playing several positions on UConn’s defensive line.

”Having three different head coaches – and if you include the interim head coach, it’s four – and having a various amount of defenses, I’ve kind of been all over Logan Paulsen Jersey Falcons ,” Fatukasi said.

That versatility will be valuable for the Jets, who tend to move players around on the line to keep them fresh. Both Shepherd and Fatukasi could quickly find themselves part of that rotation, but they first need to get adjusted to playing in the NFL.

”I had to quickly get off the high of being drafted,” Fatukasi said, ”and realize there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

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A look at what’s happening around the majors Friday:

TEXAS STORY

Colorado shortstop Trevor Story gets to play a big league game near home for the first time when the Rockies open an interleague series Friday night at the Texas Rangers, in a stadium only a few miles from his hometown of Irving, Texas. The Rockies last played at Texas in 2016, which was Story’s standout rookie season. But Story, the 45th overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Irving High, suffered a season-ending left thumb injury about two weeks before that series. Another Texas native starts the opener for the Rockies in right-hander Chad Bettis (4-1), who is from Lubbock and went to Texas Tech. He got a no decision in the Rockies’ 12-9 win during that August 2016 series when he allowed five runs in five innings.

ACES UP

Two of the National League’s top pitchers this season will face off when the Chicago Cubs open a weekend series at the St. Louis Cardinals. Jon Lester (7-2) takes the mound for the Cubs, who are coming off two straight losses at Milwaukee, and the left-hander is fourth in the NL in ERA (2.22). Michael Wacha, meanwhile, is 8-1 and seventh in the league with a 2.47 ERA – providing a much-needed boost for a Cardinals team that’s 4-5 in its last nine games against Miami, Cincinnati and San Diego.

BACK IN TOWN

Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) takes the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium Johnny Hekker Jersey , his fourth outing since becoming the 12th pitcher to start a major league game following multiple Tommy John surgeries. Eovaldi pitched for the Yankees from 2015-16, going 14-3 for them in 2015, but has never faced New York. ”I wish I would have been able to finish on a healthy note. Other than that, I really enjoyed my time there,” Eovaldi said.

Jonathan Loaisiga comes up from Double-A Trenton to make his big league debut for the Yankees, starting in place of injured Masahiro Tanaka. The 23-year-old Loaisiga, from Nicaragua, returned to the mound last year from Tommy John surgery. ”Super excited. This is a great opportunity the Yankees are giving me,” Loaisiga said through a translator. ”It’s been a tough road for me to get here and now it’s about enjoying this moment.”

GIO WATCH

Gio Gonzalez (6-2, 2.65 ERA) had his worst start of the season in his last outing, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants last week. The Washington Nationals left-hander will return to the mound when he makes an interleague start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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