FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Hard-hitting safety Calvin Pryor -- a.k.a. the Louisville Slugger -- got blindsided Thursday by his own coach.

Giving a seven-game assessment of Pryor's rookie season, Rex Ryan offered an honest and accurate evaluation of the first-round pick, saying, "He hasn't had the impact necessarily that all of us had expected."

Pryor, in a full-time role, has made no big plays for the New York Jets, fueling the perception that he's falling short of expectations. Two factors have contributed to that, one of which was quickly noted by Ryan.

For a variety of reasons, Pryor has played out of position as a deep-middle safety -- a free safety, if you will. He did that early in his college career at Louisville, but he built his reputation near the line of scrimmage, delivering blow-up hits. The Jets fell in love with him because of his aggressive and fearless style.

Ryan being Ryan, he raised the bar (and the pressure) on Pryor by making a far-fetched comparison. A few days after the draft, he said, "He reminds me of Jack Tatum -- an enforcer back there."

Talk about turning up the heat.

Tatum, notorious for his paralyzing wide receiver Darryl Stingley with a vicious hit, was known in the 1970s as "The Assassin." In fact, he wrote a book, entitled, "They Call me Assassin." He was one of the most feared tacklers in NFL history.

Pryor hasn't made an impact -- no interceptions, no forced fumbles, one tackle-for-loss and a half-sack. Ryan attributed the lack of production to the defensive scheme, suggesting Pryor has been victimized by an in-season adjustment. Because of injuries and personnel issues at cornerback, and because of the number of top quarterbacks they've faced, the Jets have played more zone than usual. The grand design was to use Pryor in the box, letting him attack the line of scrimmage, but that hasn't materialized.

"It hasn't gone according to plan, so to speak," Ryan said.

Of course, there's nothing stopping Pryor from making plays in the deep middle. After all, when you're the 18th overall pick, you're expected to be more than a one-dimensional safety. But pass coverage isn't his strength. During the draft process, scouts questioned that aspect of his game.

Pryor said he never expected to play this much free safety, admitting, "It can be frustrating and disappointing at times." But he also acknowledged that he has to play better.

"There have been a lot of moving parts on the back end, but he's definitely right," Pryor said of Ryan. "I look at myself in the mirror and I know I have to step it up."

Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman agreed with Ryan's assessment but defended the rookie, saying he hasn't had many opportunities to make plays. Coincidentally, he mentioned Tatum.

"You guys think he's the second coming of Jack Tatum," said Thurman, apparently not aware that Ryan started the comparison several months ago. "Go find a tape of Jack Tatum's rookie year. I promise you, he was dealing with the same issues playing the deep middle. You don't get a lot of opportunities to get blow-up hits playing the middle."

As rookie with the Oakland Raiders, back in 1971, Tatum had four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.