The New York Jets just acquired safety Chuck Clark in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. In return, the Jets parted with a 2024 seventh-round draft pick.
New York Jets add veteran safety Chuck Clark:
Clark played all six years of his NFL career with the Ravens. They drafted him in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Clark went on to play in 96 games with 63 starts.
- Jets soar in 2024’s five-year NFL Draft team analysis rankings
- Zach Wilson skipping Jets voluntary offseason workouts while trade talks stall
- Jets find QB-WR-RB trio of the future in 7-round mock draft
He is still a fairly young player in his prime. Clark is currently 27 years old and will turn 28 in April. This upcoming year is the final year that Clark has remaining on his contract. Per Over The Cap, Clark is owed a salary of $3.6 million and will have a cap hit of $4.1 million.
Clark is listed at 6-foot and 209 pounds with 32 1/4″ arms. Athletically, Clark recorded a great 8.81 RAS during the 2017 pre-draft process. He has solid speed (4.54 40-yard dash) with a terrific 10-yard split time (1.56). Clark’s agility is his best attribute, headlined by his 4.07 20-yard shuttle and 6.85 3-cone time.
From a production standpoint, since being in the NFL, Clark has proven tremendous availability his entire career. He has played at least 15 games every year. Clark has not played in all but two games since being drafted by the Ravens, one as a rookie and the other in 2021.
His role increased significantly in his third year, 2019, when he logged 747 defensive snaps. He recorded 73 total tackles, nine passes defended, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
Clark has totaled over 1,000 snaps defensively in each of the past three seasons. In 2020, he recorded 96 total tackles, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and one interception. From a coverage standpoint, Clark did by far his best work in 2021. He had 12 passes defended and two interceptions, both career highs. In 2022, not only did Clark start all 17 games, but he played 100% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps (1,093). He posted a career-best 101 total tackles.
Lastly, Clark is predominately a strong safety who plays in the box. But, he will provide the Jets with some fantastic versatility.
Overall, this Clark addition is certainly an exciting one for the Jets. This defense desperately needed a new safety who can be an upgrade. Clark is a reliable tackler who has proven to be consistently available and joins the Jets with tons of experience.