Jets may have just made their first notable mistake of roster cuts

Roster cuts always bring their fair share of overreactions. The truth is, a team’s initial 53-man roster is rarely its final form. Injuries, waiver-wire additions, and other transactions often reshape things before Week 1 kicks off, so it’s usually wise to let the dust settle before drawing hard conclusions.

That said, the New York Jets just made a cut that understandably has many fans scratching their heads. The Jets have reportedly waived cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse despite his second consecutive standout summer with the team.

A sixth-round pick of the Jets in the 2023 NFL Draft, Bernard-Converse was one of the team's best overall players in each of the last two preseasons. There really isn't much more he could've done to prove he deserved a roster spot.

Instead, the Jets made the surprising decision to move on, likely hoping to sneak him onto their practice squad. But with the preseason tape he’s put together over the last two years, it feels unlikely he’ll slip through waivers unclaimed at this stage.

The Jets' decision to cut Jarrick Bernard-Converse is highly questionable

Bernard-Converse has done nothing but impress every time he's been given an opportunity. The former LSU standout was the star of the preseason for the Jets in 2024, posting an elite 92.4 Pro Football Focus grade that included a 92.3 coverage grade.

His performance was enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, although with a logjam at cornerback in front of him, he only played a handful of defensive snaps in the regular season.

Bernard-Converse returned in 2025 once again competing for a roster spot, and for the second summer in a row, he stole the show. The 25-year-old finished as one of the team's highest-graded players by PFF again, posting a stellar 82.9 overall grade.

He allowed just two catches for 22 yards on seven targets, recording a PBU, three run stops, and a team-best 40.2 passer rating when targeted. Bernard-Converse was arguably the Jets' best defensive player two summers in a row.

This is a player who should be in the conversation for a regular role on defense as the team’s primary dime cornerback, especially ahead of fellow young corner Qwan’tez Stiggers, who has managed PFF coverage grades of just 50.9 and 48.4 in each of the last two preseasons by comparison.

Stiggers has a role on the Jets' roster largely due to special teams, as there's a good chance he's one of the team's top gunners this year. But it's hard to argue he's shown anything remotely near as much as Bernard-Converse has shown as a pure cover corner. Their tape isn't even remotely in the same tier.

Bernard-Converse’s release could open the door for Jarius Monroe, another versatile young defensive back who impressed this summer. Monroe suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason finale, but if he’s healthy by Week 1, he could slide right into the role Bernard-Converse was expected to fill.

Is cutting Bernard-Converse going to make or break the Jets' season? Of course not. No one should be crashing out over a roster decision involving CB4/CB5/CB6 on the depth chart.

But the fact of the matter is that the Jets will roster multiple cornerbacks in 2025 who haven't shown nearly as much as Bernard-Converse to this point. Cutting him is a mistake — one the team could live to regret if he's claimed on waivers and thrives elsewhere.

Jets may have just made their first notable mistake of roster cuts

The Jets' decision to cut Jarrick Bernard-Converse is highly questionable

More NY Jets news and analysis:

Schedule