NY Jets officially sign rookie fourth-round pick Cameron Clark

The NY Jets have officially signed fourth-round pick Cameron Clark to a standard rookie contract.

The NY Jets have taken it slow with their rookie contracts this year — an understandable approach given the situation they’re in. But on Saturday they officially inked their third rookie to a contract.

The Jets announced yesterday that they had signed fourth-round pick Cameron Clark to a standard four-year rookie contract. Clark was the team’s third selection in the fourth round and their seventh overall pick in the draft.

This comes following the signings of second-round pick Denzel Mims and fifth-round pick Bryce Hall which each came earlier this month. Clark now joins those two as the only three members of the Jets’ nine-player draft class to be signed.

The process has been slow, but it hasn’t been an uncommon phenomenon either. At the time of writing, only three teams (the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, and Carolina Panthers) have signed their first-round picks.

The Jets’ first-round pick of Mekhi Becton is one of the many first-rounders who remained unsigned.

However, this is understandable given the difficulties teams face in a pandemic-riddled world. Negotiations have been forced to take place virtually while it’s been challenging getting players to take physicals that are often required at signing.

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Simply put, the Jets are in the same boat as the rest of the NFL and they’re far from the only team that’s been slow to sign their draft picks.

The NY Jets are hoping that Cameron Clark could develop into a long-term starter.

As for Clark, the Jets added the former Charlotte standout with the hope that he could serve as a long-term starter of the future. Although he was drafted as an offensive tackle, many scouts/analysts see him as a guard in the pros.

And that’s likely where his future lies with the Jets.

He won’t be asked to be a starter right off the bat, but don’t be surprised if Clark is starting at guard as soon as next season if his development goes to plan.

A mean road-grader, Clark is powerful at the point of attack and he projects as a plus-run-blocker at the NFL level. While his pass sets need work, it’s easy to see him developing into a quality starting guard at some point in the future.

No one knows how soon that “future” could be. But now that he’s signed his contract, his NFL journey has officially begun.