Re-grading NY Jets' 2023 NFL Draft class after one year

It was always going to be difficult to follow up the historic success of the NY Jets' 2022 NFL Draft class. It's not every year your team finds four genuine blue-chip talents in the same draft class.

Expecting the Jets to replicate their 2022 success in 2023, especially given their lack of draft capital in comparison, was never wise. That said, it's fair to raise some questions about the Jets' draft decisions from a year ago.

As always, it's never fair to grade a draft class after just one season, especially when the majority of players on this list didn't see much action. Still, we can give preliminary grades with the understand that a lot can still change.

These grades will primarily be based on what each player did in their first season with the Jets as well as how their future projects after one year. Let's take a look at our re-grade of the Jets' 2023 draft class.

Will McDonald, DE, NY Jets - Round 1, Pick 15

The Jets stunned most fans with the selection of Will McDonald in the first round of last year's draft, and one year later the pick doesn't look much better. As always, a lot can change here. By no means should anyone be writing off McDonald as a bad pick just yet.

That said, it's very fair to question the Jets' approach here. The Jets drafted McDonald with the expectation that he would replace Bryce Huff (and Carl Lawson) in a year's time. Despite Huff's breakout season, the Jets let him walk in free agency, presumably to give McDonald a larger role in 2024.

That doesn't seem likely now, however, following the Haason Reddick trade. If Reddick is extended, the Jets will commit to the fact that McDonald will be a backup for the entirety of his rookie contract.

As it stands now, it's hard to envision a scenario in which McDonald's playing time significantly increases in the near future barring injury. Combine that with the fact that he already turns 25 years old in June and there are a lot of questions about this pick.

The Jets could've drafted someone like Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, etc., allowing the team to address a position of need. Instead, they drafted their fourth-string pass rusher who has no obvious path to playing time. McDonald — through no fault of his own — still has a lot to prove.

Grade: C-

Joe Tippmann, C, NY Jets - Round 2, Pick 43

This is by far the Jets' best pick of the entire 2023 draft class, and to this point, the only pick where the arrow is clearly pointing up. Joe Tippmann looks like a long-term starter for Gang Green.

Tippmann didn't begin the year in the starting lineup, but it didn't take long for injuries to force his way onto the field. While he certainly went through his fair share of rookie ups and downs, Tippmann more than held his own in a starting role.

In Tippmann's 10 games as a starting center, he allowed a pressure rate of just 3.3 percent, ranking 13th among 31 qualified centers over that time. He flashed potential as a run blocker and steadily got better in pass protection as the season went on.

There's still plenty of room for Tippmann to continue growing, but he laid a solid foundation as a rookie. He should be a long-term building block for the Jets if he continues on this trajectory.

Grade: B+

Carter Warren, OT, NY Jets - Round 4, Pick 120

Expectations were understandably tempered for Carter Warren entering his rookie season. The fourth-round pick missed considerable time in the summer and the early part of the season due to a knee injury.

He was also asked to switch positions, seeing significant time at right tackle despite playing almost exclusively left tackle in college. All of that is to add context to Warren's obvious rookie struggles.

Warren was quite bad as a rookie. His 7.8 percent pressure rate was the same as Mekhi Becton's and he actually allowed sacks at a higher rate than Becton, who led the NFL in total sacks allowed.

The Jets still hope Warren could develop into a future swing tackle, but his performance as a rookie left a lot to be desired. Another year of development and a healthy summer should help him grow entering his second season.

Grade: C

Israel Abanikanda, RB, NY Jets - Round 5, Pick 143

Most of the Jets' Day 3 picks didn't see the field much as rookies, and that's true for Israel Abanikanda. While many young running backs find ways to contribute early in their careers, Abanikanda struggled in his limited opportunities.

The Pittsburgh product carried the ball just 22 times for 70 yards, averaging a lowly 3.2 yards per carry. Abanikanda's lack of playing time came largely as a result of a lack of trust from the Jets' coaching staff — and it's not hard to see why.

Abanikanda struggled in pass protection, so much so that the Jets only asked him to pass block on four snaps all season. Combine that with his ball security issues and it's easy to see why Abanikanda didn't see the field.

The young running back also struggled as a receiver, dropping 20 percent of his targets, and showed no ability to run through contract. Right now, Abanikanda is a change-of-pace speed back who offers little else. The Jets need more from him in 2024 if he's going to stick around.

Grade: C-

Zaire Barnes, LB, NY Jets - Round 6, Pick 184

The Jets drafted Zaire Barnes with the expectation that he'd be an immediate contributor on special teams and extra linebacker depth. That didn't exactly happen.

Barnes was a healthy scratch for most of the season, losing all of his special-teams snaps to the likes of Jamien Sherwood and Chazz Surratt. The Western Michigan product only saw the field when Surratt was forced to miss a few games.

In total, Barnes played just four games as a rookie, recording zero stats on just 32 snaps. It's unfair to ask much of a sixth-round pick, but he didn't even fill the role the Jets envisioned for him.

Perhaps Barnes could still develop into a special-teams contributor, but he enters the 2024 season firmly on the roster bubble. He might have to beat out Surratt to earn a spot.

Grade: C-

Jarrick Bernard-Converse, DB, NY Jets - Round 6, Pick 204

Jerrick Bernard-Converse is another rookie who was plagued by the injury bug in 2023. The LSU product missed the first half of his rookie season after injuring his foot in the summer.

He returned to appear in eight games for the Jets, becoming a fixture on special teams. Bernard-Converse finished the year with two total tackles, also playing four snaps on defense.

There's a chance Bernard-Converse could play a larger role in 2024, as he's currently the third safety on the Jets' depth chart, but it's hard to take anything away from his nondescript rookie season.

At the very least, he did develop into a regular special-teams contributor, so that gives him a slight nod over someone like Barnes. I wouldn't be surprised if Bernard-Converse's arrow is pointing up after the 2024 season. The Jets are high on his versatility.

Grade: C

Zack Kuntz, TE, NY Jets - Round 7, Pick 220

Jets fans were understandably excited when their favorite team drafted a player who was quite literally the most athletic tight end in NFL history. Zack Kuntz set a new RAS record with a perfect 10.0/10.0 score, ranking him No. 1 among all 1,104 tight-end prospects since 1987 in overall athleticism.

Still, it was abundantly clear he was a project from day one, which is why it wasn't a huge surprise when he was released as part of final roster cuts. Kuntz spent most of the season on the Jets' practice squad, appearing in just one game.

That game happened to be the Jets' regular-season finale, where Kuntz played two offensive snaps and four special-teams snaps. He did not record any stats.

Kuntz enters the 2024 season fighting for a roster spot behind the likes of Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert, and Kenny Yeboah. His path to the 53-man roster might have to come on special teams.

Grade: N/A