If the Jets can't gauge the physical aspect of football until the pads come on during training camp, what can we learn from mandatory minicamp?

Well, for defensive coordinator Brian Duker, when it comes to tackling – he's focused on angles.

"This time of year, the biggest thing I think within tackling that can emphasize is your approach angles," Duker said Wednesday. "So that's a big deal for us this year: angles to the football, little points like tracking the near hip and putting your body in the right position. When you talk about a missed tackle this time of year, it looks like giving up a cutback through your body because you took a poor angle to the football."

Wednesday's session was largely focused on third-and-long situations, and players on each side of the ball had a few flashes.

QB Geno Smith continued to target WR Garrett Wilson early in the Jets 7-on-7 reps. With Nahshon Wright in coverage, Wilson made an acrobatic catch for a long reception as he reached high above his head for the ball and got his feet down inside the boundary.

Earlier this offseason, Wilson praised Frank Reich's offensive system for being player focused. On Wednesday, Reich reiterated the importance for coaches to lead while also allowing players to "work through it together."

"You get a player like Garrett Wilson, and many others, but since you mentioned his name, that guy has elite instincts, he's not just a great athlete," Reich said. "We talk about the combination of discipline and instincts…but we don't want robots.

"What we talk a lot about is how do you combine the discipline and detail that we need and then you've got a guy like Garrett Wilson, and others, who just know how to get open and it's not always going to look like exactly how you draw it, it doesn't pay out like that all the time."

Defensively, rookie CB D'Angelo Ponds recorded an impressive interception. With QB Bailey Zappe targeting WR Arian Smith, Ponds made a good break on the pass, deflected the ball and came down with the pick.

"I got a chance to watch him a little bit in college and then obviously when you get to see it in person and see how aggressive he is and how super sticky in coverage," Wright said of Ponds. "I mean, you can't ask for anything better."

Later during a hurry-up drill with fewer than 30 seconds on the clock, Smith looked toward Wilson again for a 21-yard grab to put the offense inside the 5-yard line. Two plays later the defense prevented a score with a would-be sack, but the play wasn't called dead; it resulted with S Andre Cisco intercepting it in the endzone.

Special teams got their work in before the final walk-through of the afternoon and overall, coordinator Chris Banjo said that he is pleased with how well his players handled the "download" process of this year's schemes.

"We talk extensively about fortifying our foundation that we've been fortunate enough to build here over the last year, but we know we have to start growing up going into the season, and the guys look forward to that," Banjo said.

Jetcetera
Several players did not practice on Wednesday: WR Adonai Mitchell, TE Jelani Woods, rookie TE Kenyon Sadiqand rookie QB Cade Klubnik … Sadiq is still rehabbing after hernia surgery but is expected to be ready by training camp … Klubnik had been dealing with back spasms and HC Aaron Glenn held him out of practice as a precaution.