GREEN BAY, Wis. – If Ha Ha Clinton-Dix brings a little extra punch to Sunday's game against the New York Jets, the reason could be Rex Ryan.

The Jets coach on Wednesday offered a no-nonsense explanation for why his team passed on Clinton-Dix and picked another safety, Calvin Pryor, in the first round of this year's draft.

"We would have been happy with either guy, but I took the guy who will knock your face in," Ryan said on a conference call with reporters at Lambeau Field.

The Green Bay Packers picked Clinton-Dix three spots later, at No. 21 overall. The two will face off Sunday at Lambeau Field.

"If that's what they thought, then, hey that's up to them and I'm going to show them," Clinton-Dix said Wednesday when told of Ryan's comments.

Talk of Pryor's big-hitting ability is nothing new. Even Clinton-Dix noted it back in February at the scouting combine, saying even he can't hit like Pryor did in college at Louisville. The two have a long-standing, but friendly rivalry dating to their high school days as standouts in Florida. On Wednesday, Clinton-Dix said he has remained in regular contact with Pryor.

"I'm happy for him, and he's happy for me," Clinton-Dix said.

But Clinton-Dix wasn't happy with his performance in last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Although he recorded the team's only sack, he missed three tackles, including one in the open field that would have saved a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Pryor started for the Jets, had two tackles and two pass breakups, although he did not deliver any big hits.

"Can't take that away from him; he's a heck of a hitter," Clinton-Dix said. "He's not afraid to stick his nose in there any time of the day. He's a great ball player."

When asked if he's a hard hitter, too, Clinton-Dix said: "No doubt and you're going to see it. Week in and week out, as I get my chance to come up and make those big hits, it will happen. That time will come."