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Jets Sign ‘Breakout’ Versatile Defender to Multiyear Deal After Draft

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The New York Jets picked up one of the most intriguing undrafted free agents available.

On social media, ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared that the Jets signed former Fresno State safety Dean Clark following the 2025 NFL draft. “He scores a nice guarantee – $160,000,” Cimini added.

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According to Spotrac, Clark signed a three-year, $2.98 million contract.

The official Fresno State Football account confirmed the signing on X previously Twitter.

“he’s headed to NY✈️ Congratulations to @19Deanclark on signing with the @nyjets 🤝,” the caption said.

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Jets Add Versatility to the Secondary

Clark, 23, measured in at 6 feet and tipped the scales at 206 pounds.

The Jets had their eyes on this talented defender for a while. Cimini noted back in March that Clark made a top-30 visit to the Jets ahead of the draft.

Clark posted a 4.49 40-yard dash and a 41-inch vertical jump at his Pro Day, per Cimini. That vertical jump would have been the third-best for his position at the combine, and he would have posted the seventh fastest 40-yard dash time for safeties.

“A three-star recruit, he signed with Kent State and had a breakout 2021 season with a team-best 116 tackles. After an Achilles injury in 2022, he transferred to Fresno State for his final two seasons,” Dane Brugler revealed in “The Beast.”

“Clark aligned all over the defense, from the box to single high. He reads the backfield action well to anticipate and react, and will lay traps for quarterbacks in coverage. His decisiveness as a player really stands out, as it allows him to explode and finish. His alley angles are generally sharp, and he chases with pace so as to not overrun the ball carrier,” Brugler said. “Overall, Clark is a rangy, physical defender with an interchangeable skill set who can provide depth at multiple spots and shine on special teams (680 career special teams snaps in college).”

Clark spent six years in college. The first four were spent at Kent State, and the final two were at Fresno State. During that run, Clark appeared in 58 games and made 42 starts.

He finished with 304 tackles, two sacks, five interceptions, 14 pass deflections, and seven tackles for loss.

Clark Has a Real Chance to Make the Jets Roster

Out of all the undrafted free agents the Jets signed, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic gave Clark the second-best odds to crack the 53-man roster.

“For a team lacking depth at safety, he has a shot to stick around with a good summer. Andre Cisco, Tony Adams, and fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore are locked into spots. I believe the Jets view Isaiah Oliver as more of a nickel than a safety, though his ability to play both helps his positioning on the roster, too. But there’s room for another, especially for a coaching staff that prides itself in developing defensive backs,” Rosenblatt explained.

The more you can do, the more attractive you are to NFL teams. Rosenblatt said Clark’s versatility “is likely what appealed” to head coach Aaron Glenn.

“Clark played all over the field in college, from in the box to single high. In 2024, Clark played 265 snaps in the box, 367 at free safety, 100 in the slot, and 10 at outside corner. PFF gave him a positive grade in all areas: run defense, tackling, pass rushing, and coverage. He also was a standout on special teams, which can’t hurt,” Rosenblatt said.

The other thing that helps is Clark’s athleticism. He received a 9.33 RAS score out of a possible 10.00. “This ranked 84 out of 1236 SS from 1987 to 2025,” RAS.football explained on social media.

Clark’s testing in the vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle, and 40-yard dash all graded out as “elite.”

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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

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