One of the most intriguing picks from the Jets’ 2023 draft class was their last one. Saving the best for last, perhaps?
That pick was Old Dominion tight end Zack Kuntz, selected No. 220 overall and a player that brings a lot of upside to the offense. He’s also extremely athletic. Almost perfectly athletic as his Relative Athletic Score was a perfect 10.00.
He could make some noise on the Jets and that thought is shared by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who shared some post-draft buzz on ESPN and believes he has a chance to crack the roster, despite how deep the tight end room is right now.
Don’t sleep on seventh-round tight end Zack Kuntz, whose 94 athleticism score (out of 100) ranks seventh among all tight ends who have entered the league since 2003, according to Next Gen Stats. “He’s 6-foot-7 and can fly vertically,” said a veteran NFL scout of the former Penn State player who transferred to Old Dominion. “Seems to be past some of the immaturity that plagued him at Penn State.”
The Jets’ tight end room is pretty deep: C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin are entrenched as starters, Kenny Yeboah is far from a throwaway and Jeremy Ruckert was a third-round pick a year ago. But if Kuntz can flash early, perhaps New York could move one of its four tight ends in the preseason.
The Jets rolled with four tight ends for a good portion of the season last year. It’s very unlikely they would go to five and keep everyone. But who gets cut? The Jets like Yeboah and they’re not ready to give up yet on Ruckert. But if the Jets cut Kuntz, there’s almost no chance they’ll be able to stash him on the practice squad. Someone is going to claim him. This is going to be one of the more intriguing camp battles.