Former Jets draft picks find immediate redemption after roster cuts

The New York Jets spent most of the last few weeks getting rid of the mess that was the Joe Douglas era, as many of the fringe roster players Douglas may have had an affinity for are getting knocked off the depth chart by Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey. Both the starting offense and defense suffered losses as a result of this purge.

Former third-round pick Malachi Corley, whom the Jets fell in love with and traded up for in the 2024 NFL Draft, was cut after a thoroughly disappointing season. Sixth-round cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who some may have penciled in as a possible dime cornerback, was also shown the door.

It didn't take long for another NFL team to scoop both of these players up. This team doesn't figure to win a ton of games, but that might be enough to give both of these players the snaps they need to show they can actually stick around in the pros.

The Cleveland Browns, one of the few NFL teams out there projected by a plurality of analysts to be worse than the Jets, added Corley to their practice squad and were awarded Bernard-Converse on waivers. Will taking that Jets green off finally be what unlocks both of their potential?

Former NY Jets WR Malachi Corley, CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse land with Browns

Corley touched the ball just five times during his rookie season, and one of them one his ill-fated drop at the goal line. Throwing away his first NFL touchdown, paired with a bad attitude and an inability to master an NFL route tree, has put him in a position where he can't be retained long term.

Corley will join a Browns receiver room that is somehow worse than what the Jets have. Even in that thin of a room, Corley faces an uphill battle to even get on the field, as Kevin Stefanski asks more of his receivers at the line of scrimmage than most coaches.

Bernard-Converse is the more surprising of the two cuts, as he put together such a strong showing in the preseason that it seemed like a foregone conclusion he would be on the 53-man roster. Cleveland's secondary is stronger than most give it credit for, and JBC might be able to make some waves in that unit.

Cleveland is not regarded as a place where careers get resurrected, but both Corley and Bernard-Converse will at least give northeast Ohio a shot.

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