The Jets had an excellent defense in 2023 but the safety positions at times left a lot to be desired. Tony Adams was solid but Jordan Whitehead was up and down. Adams is still around but Whitehead is now back in Tampa Bay after two years with the Jets. How will the Jets fill the void? They hope with the returning Chuck Clark, who suffered a torn ACL during the offseason program last year. Clark fits the bill as a prime bounce-back candidate for the Jets and that’s exactly the direction Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker went with in a recent article.
“Clark’s debut will come a year late because of a torn ACL last June,” wrote Locker. “Without Clark, Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams were solid, but the former Raven should have an inside track to start after Whitehead’s departure.
“Clark was fabulous the last time we saw him: his 88.8 overall grade in his final four games of 2022 ranked third among safeties. Maybe most impressive was that he posted an 87.7 tackling grade and an 87.6 coverage grade in that span. If the Jets get the same well-rounded version of Clark after a season away, their defense becomes that much scarier.”
The Jets acquired Clark from the Baltimore Ravens during the early portion of the 2023 offseason. After a year out, he will finally get to suit up for the Jets. Before joining the Jets, Clark was one of the defensive leaders for the Ravens, culminating in a 101-tackle season in 2022. Clark has 384 total tackles in six seasons played with five total interceptions — none since 2021, however.
A healthy Clark should help improve what was arguably the only weak spot in the Jets’ defense in 2023. A strong campaign from Clark and Adams will make the defense that much better and make the Jets even more of a contender in 2024.
