Can Jarrick Bernard-Converse Stand Out in a Crowded Special Teams Unit?

When Jarrick Bernard-Converse, the former Oklahoma State and LSU football star, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, he would spend the next two seasons making his bones on Gang Green's special teams units.

Despite the low odds of him making the Jets, he continued to scrape along and found a way to make himself useful on the team. He suited up for 15 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

During that time, he logged over 210 snaps on multiple special teams units. What he did not receive was much opportunity as a safety or as a cornerback during that time. After two years, his time was up with the Jets.

Through a series of events, Bernard-Converse would go from the Jets to the Browns and back to New York, but this time he eventually landed with the New York Giants during the 2025 season.

He would once again resume his role on special teams and try to make such an impact that a team believes they need him solely because of his special teams abilities.

JARRICK BERNARD-CONVERSE, CB

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 205 lbs.
Exp.: 4 Years
School: LSU
How Acquired: W (CLE)-'25

2025 in Review

After what turned into a tough, hard-fought training camp battle, Jarrick Bernard-Converse was cut on the final cutdown to get to the 53-man roster. It always hurts to work throughout the offseason so intimately with players and coaches, only to be told on the final day that the team doesn't value you going into the new season.

He didn't stay unemployed for very long. The Cleveland Browns claimed him off waivers to join their team.

When he was picked up by Cleveland, the cornerback likely never could have imagined that he would be back in the New York area anytime soon. He would suit up for five games with the Browns, where they used him sparingly on special teams and even less on defense.

He recorded 21% of the snaps on special teams over his five games and only five snaps on defense. During his entire time on the field for the Browns, he did not record a single statistic.

By late October, he had fallen out of favor with the Browns, and Cleveland waived him, and he was quickly picked up off waivers by the New York Giants.

The Giants gave him more opportunities in the five games he suited up for them than Cleveland did in their five games with him. He played 13 defensive snaps, more than double the amount in Cleveland. His 41 special team snaps accounted for 31% of the snaps.

Contract/Cap Info

According to Spotrac, Jarrick Bernard-Converse signed a two-year, $2,175,000 contract to join the New York Giants. The deal includes an average annual salary of $1,087,000 and no signing bonus.

If Bernard-Converse makes the team this season, he will earn a base salary of $1,145,000 and carry a cap hit of that same amount. This was his second contract as he signed a four-year, four-million-dollar contract as a rookie with the Jets.

2026 Preview

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. (3) runs with the ball before being tackled by New York Giants cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse (35) during a week 9 game between New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Bernard-Converse looks around the locker room, he's going to see a lot of players who look similar to him: guys who are trying to make an impact as a special teamer, but do not bring much value to the team anywhere else.

The problem for him and, quite frankly, every other special teamer on the roster is that there is an abundance of players who bring value on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, who may also have to play special teams in order to justify their position.

What would normally be a situation where a weak position group could allow a guy primarily focused on special teams to slide in will likely not be the case this season with the Giants.

Players who can service two of the three sides of the football will likely get a nod over guys who can only focus on one, especially if that one is special teams.

Guys like Nick Jones, Rico Payton, Raheem Lane, Bo Brady, Corey Black, Elijah Campbell, and Art Green are all guys who don't bring much value to the team defensively, but are hoping to carve out a spot on special teams.

It's a busy room defensively, and we haven't even spoken about the offensive players who are in a similar boat. Ultimately, it will be too much for him to overcome, and Bernard-Converse could be looking at his second exit from New York.

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