Zaire Barnes shows surprisingly impressive athleticism on film, but he has plenty of things to work on
The New York Jets entered the 2023 NFL offseason with loads of questions surrounding their linebacker position. Veteran C.J. Mosley would surely be back in 2023 due to his contract but their two other starters, Quincy Williams and Kwon Alexander, were not under contract.
Williams was re-signed early in free agency, fetching a three-year, $18 million deal and filling one of the Jets’ three “starting” spots at linebacker. However, Alexander remains a free agent in June.
The Jets could still bring Alexander back, but until then, they will be counting on the young players at the bottom of the depth chart to replace Alexander’s impact. One of those young players is 2023 sixth-round pick Zaire Barnes out of Western Michigan.
The full, member-only Zaire Barnes film breakdown (50:00 in length) can be found at the bottom of this article (must be a Jets X-Factor member and logged into the site).
Barnes may be the most unknown player from the Jets’ 2023 draft class. There is hardly even any highlight footage of him available on YouTube.
So, who is this guy? Should he be expected to compete for the Jets’ third starting linebacker spot? Or is he a long-term project who will be limited to special teams as a rookie?
All of these questions and many more are answered on this edition of Blewett’s Blitz. Plus, a list of strengths and weaknesses can be seen at the bottom of this article!
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Full member-only Zaire Barnes film breakdown
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