Re-evaluating Will McDonald and the NY Jets' 2023 draft class
By Matthew Lownes
![Will McDonald Will McDonald](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2000,h_1125,x_0,y_1004/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/30/01htph57hy1vpnsy04ke.jpg)
Jarrick Bernard-Converse, DB, NY Jets: Round 6, 184th overall
- Grade: B-
LSU has famously produced many elite defensive backs yet the Jets can only Jarrick Bernard-Converse can be half as good as the likes of Patrick Peterson and Tre'Davious White. The speedy athletic corner could potentially take over Justin Hardee's role as a special teams gunner.
The Jets didn't need a corner but moving into the 2024 season Bernard-Converse will be needed depth in the secondary and hopefully can be a stud on special teams. Bernard-Converse played in eight games and will most likely play in a lot more this year as a special teamer and rotational secondary player.
Now you can get mad at me for giving Bernard-Converse a better grade than Zaire Barnes, the fact is that the Bernard-Converse played more and will most likely contribute more in 2024.
Zack Kuntz, TE, NY Jets: Round 7, 220th overall
Grade: D+
Formerly a top recruit at Penn State, Zack Kuntz transferred to Ole Dominion to reunite with his offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne. Kuntz has always had extreme athletic upside and it was known that he needed massive development in the blocking game. It's just too bad he couldn't even find the active roster in 2023.
Kuntz's journey from a top recruit to ODU star and now fringe NFL player has been something I've followed closely. I was an intern at Penn State during the recruiting process and followed along his journey at ODU, again because of the Penn State connections. The bottom line is that Kuntz may not even be on the roster this upcoming September.
Kuntz is athletic and if he can be more consistent as a pass catcher and blocker he can make the roster as a TE3 or even TE4. My grade here is a 'D+' — yeah, that's bad.
Douglas took a chance on an athletic tight end but he wasn't on the active roster from late August to late December, instead being on the practice squad.
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