As the NFL Draft draws closer, the one collegiate name that constantly appears next to the Jets on mock drafts across the land is that of Jerry Hughes, the tenacious TCU defensive end who projects as an outside linebacker in the NFL.
Hughes will enter the NFL as one of the best collegiate pass rushers over the past couple of years. That’s a good match for the Jets, who were lacking in sacks (32) last season despite leading the NFL in overall defense. Hughes, too, appears to be a terrific match for Rex Ryan, who wakes up in the middle of the night scheming ways to rush opposing quarterbacks.
With the possibility of the Jets drafting him at No. 29 overall in the first round tomorrow, you could feel Hughes’ adrenaline rise over the phone.
“I love their defense,” Hughes said. “They were No. 1 in the NFL. They have a defensive-minded head coach. They know how to play ball up there. When you go to a team like that who knows how to play defense, being a defensive player you love being out there.”
Asked to describe himself as a pass rusher, Hughes said, “Oh man, tenacious. When I get out there on that field, I’m coming for that quarterback full speed on every play.”
The irony to Hughes’ football life is that in high school he spent much of his time trying to avoid players like he became in college — those who wreak havoc in opponents’ backfields. Hughes was a running back and kick returner in high school. He said the move to the defensive side “bummed me out at first,” but added that he quickly realized he would get more playing time.
“I was willing to do anything to get out there on the field,” he said. “Coaches saw something in me where they could stick me in any area, and I could be there. They recruited me as an athlete.”
Fast forwarding, Hughes led the nation in sacks in his junior year in 2008 with 15 in 13 games. He also had 191⁄2 tackles for losses, six forced fumbles and two INTs that year.
Last year, he had 111⁄2 sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
He played his college career as a defensive end with his hand in the ground, but because of his size (6-foot-2, 255 pounds), he’s going to be asked to play outside linebacker, standing up as an edge pass rusher.
After his high school transition to defense, he said moving to linebacker in the NFL won’t be a problem.
“I don’t think it’ll be too much of an adjustment,” he said. “I’ve worked on it since the Combine and I think I’ve pretty much got it down. At the end of the day it’s about going out there and playing football, something I love to do.”
Still, the journey he’s taken from high school running back to top defensive player about to be chosen in the first round of the NFL draft is not lost on Hughes.
“I could never have imagined this in a million years,” he said. “I’m blessed to be projected as a first rounder. I’ve always lived the dream of playing in the NFL and to get to live my dream is truly a blessing.”
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com