Jets 2023 NFL Draft Report Card: Grading Gang Green's picks
The biggest move of the Jets offseason came before the draft when they finalized a trade with the Packers for Aaron Rodgers. Finally, New York has their guy.
So, what did GM Joe Douglas do for an encore?
Here’s the early report card on the Jets’ class of 2023.
Round 1, Pick 15: Will McDonald IV, LB, Iowa State
You can never have enough pass rushers. McDonald gives Robert Saleh another to work with along with an element others don't possess — speed. The only issue with McDonald is that he doesn't really fill much of a need at the moment. He sets the team up for Carl Lawson's potential departure next year (final year of contract), but the Jets' biggest needs before this selection were at offensive tackle and on the interior of their defense. After this pick their issue needs are ... still offensive tackle and the interior of their defense.
But you're not supposed to draft for need in the NFL Draft. You're supposed to take the best player on your board. After Georgia tackle Broderick Jones went to the Steelers, and without an interior defensive lineman worth a top-15 pick, the Jets went with McDonald.
He'll serve as a situational rusher from Day 1. He can develop into an every-down starter once he adds a little more weight. The Jets love his length and the turnover-producing potential it creates.
The grade: C
Round 2, Pick 43: Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin
The Jets retained Connor McGovern and still plan to try to sign Ben Jones after the draft. Neither of those players are their long-term answer at center, though. Tippmann gives the team just that in the second round.
Much like the first round, in a perfect world, the Jets probably preferred to trade back and recoup some of the draft capital they lost in the Rodgers trade. The problem (as discussed on Thursday) is that this class isn't exactly loaded with talent, so few teams are interested in moving up.
So, the Jets stayed put and drafted Tippmann. He's big-bodied (6-6, 313), but still possesses impressive athleticism with the ability to get out, run, pull and bend. He has some positional flexibility, but he's a much more natural center, which is where the Jets plan to play him.
The grade: B
Round 4, Pick 120: Carter Warren, OT, Pittsburgh
Warren wasn’t initially a player on the Jets radar, but really hit it off with staffers at the team’s local pro day. He has good size (6-5, 311), but a wildly impressive wingspan (7 foot). He’s a bit raw as a prospect at the moment, but someone the Jets believe could develop into a staple on their line. He’ll be a depth piece in 2023. He has the ability to play left and right tackle.
The grade: B
Round 5, Pick 143: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh
The Jets have their bell cow in Breece Hall. Abanikanda gives them someone with more upside than Michael Carter. He’s a good change-of-pace runner who can contribute immediately on third down because of his ability as a pass protector. He rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.
While Abanikanda caught just 12 passes last season, the Jets believe he has underrated receiving skills along with the ability to return kicks.
The grade: B
Round 6, Pick 184: Zaire Barnes, LB, Western Michigan
The Jets are bringing back two of their three starters from last year — C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams. They remain in contact with Kwon Alexander, too, to try to retain their entire unit together. There isn’t too much behind them in terms of depth, though.
Here’s the issue: Barnes doesn’t even really give the Jets that. He’s very athletic, yes, but too small (6-1, 230 pounds) to be considered an option in 2023 and most league sources believe his future is on special teams. Taking him in the sixth round was a reach. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler viewed Barnes as an undrafted free agent.
The grade: D
Round 6, Pick 204: Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB, LSU
You start taking some chances with height-weight-speed guys at this point in the draft. That’s what the Jets did with Bernard-Converse. He’s 6-1, 205 pounds and has the versatility to play both cornerback and safety. Bernard-Converse is a similar player to Jason Pinnock, whom the Jets selected out of Pitt in 2021. Bernard-Converse has more upside, though, because of his athleticism.
The grade: C
Round 7, Pick 220: Zack Kuntz, TE, ODU
This was considered to be one of the deeper tight end classes in a while. It took the Jets a minute, but they grabbed one with their final selection of the year.
Kuntz caught 73 passes for 692 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. He caught 12 passes for 144 yards and two scores last season in five games. Kuntz is huge — standing 6-8 and weighing 255 pounds. He’s also an athletic freak. Among tight ends, he ranked second at the NFL Combine in the 40-yard dash (4.55 seconds), shuttle (4.12 seconds) and bench press (23 reps), and first in vertical (40”), broad jump (10’ 8”) and the three-cone drill (6.87 seconds).
Overall class of 2023
Douglas hit an absolute home run with his 2022 draft class, selecting the defensive and offensive rookies of the year in the first round (Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson), then adding stud running back Breece Hall later on. It’s hard to match that. You can’t expect Douglas to match that. Still, it’s hard not to be a little underwhelmed with this year’s follow-up.
The Jets are in full-on, win-now mode after trading for Rodgers. Most of their draft picks center on the future, though. McDonald had a second-round grade by most. The Jets took him 15th overall. He’ll situationally rush as a rookie and can’t be considered a starting option until he adds weight. Tippmann could eventually be the Jets' center, but New York already has McGovern and remains in talks with free-agent Ben Jones. Warren is a developmental project, much like the rest of their selections.
No one actually knows how draft picks will turn out for two or three years. Maybe this class turns into another home run? For a team trying everything they can to compete for a Super Bowl in 2023, though, it’s hard to look at this class and believe they’re now closer to accomplishing that.
