New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had a breakout performance in 2011, finishing his second season in the National Football League with 16.5 sacks, which ranked fourth in the league.
Pierre-Paul feels he's just scratching the surface of what he's capable of, writes Jorge Castillo of The Star-Ledger.
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"I am about 50 (percent)," Pierre-Paul said. "I am still learning. That is the good thing about it. I want to come out here and learn and keep on improving."
Selected with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, Pierre-Paul was a "raw" prospect after not playing football full-time until his senior year of high school and spending just one season at South Florida after two seasons at the junior college level. Pierre-Paul's athleticism was undeniable, but with just 6.5 sacks in his one season at the major college level, it was difficult to forecast how he would produce at the NFL level.
Pierre-Paul had 4.5 sacks while coming off the bench and playing about 40 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps as a rookie before earning a starting role and playing in over 85 percent of the snaps last season. With an actual NFL offseason to develop his pass-rush skills, is obliterating the NFL sacks record (22.5) a possibility for Pierre-Paul? His teammates think so.
"A 30-sack guy?" Giants linebacker/defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka asked. "He could be. Absolutely. He definitely has the potential to be one of the best ever."
Follow Brian McIntyre on Twitter _@brianmcintyre_.
