2023 NFL Draft: Gang Green Lands Physical Unicorn in Round 7

Having aced his Combine testing, tight end Zack Kuntz impressed Jets

The New York Jets took a chance on a potentially high-reward prospect with their final selection in the 2023 National Football League Draft. 

The Green & White used the No. 220 overall pick (Round 7) on Old Dominion tight end Zack Kuntz. The Jets acquired the seventh-rounder earlier in the day as part of a swap with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The 6-foot-7 Kuntz, a former Penn Stater, possesses unicorn-like physical characteristics that could translate into on-field success in the NFL. 

"He tested through the roof, so we were sitting there at the top of the seventh round and just going through some of the guys who just had that freak factor," said Jets' general manager Joe Douglas at a post-draft press conference.

Kuntz posted a perfect Relative Athletic Score (RAS), a metric developed by data-loving draftnik Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb). The freakish prospect scored a 10 RAS out of a possible 10, ranking first overall amongst 1,105 tight ends who were graded in between 1987 and 2023.

"The size, the speed, the length, the jump, just everything," said Douglas. "Another guy who may have been drafted a little sooner if not for the injury this year."

Zack Kuntz was drafted with pick 220 of round 7 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 10.00 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 1105 TE from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/L8zIqFbqfR pic.twitter.com/tVMdjVUiGn

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023

After transferring from Penn State, Kuntz showed real potential in two seasons at ODU. He ranked second amongst the nation's tight ends in receptions (73) during the 2021 season en-route to capturing All-Conference USA First Team honors.

The agile Kuntz kicked off a promising 2022 campaign by totaling 144 receiving yards and two touchdowns in five starts, but his season was cut short by injury.

The elite athlete showed no sign of injury at the 2023 NFL Combine, accounting for jaw-dropping numbers. Kuntz compiled the highest @NextGenStats "Athleticism" score (94) of the entire tight end group. 

The tall, 255-pounder ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash, finishing 0.01 second behind the fastest time of all tight end participants. He was first in the three-cone drill (6.87) and second in the 20-yard shuttle (4.12).

Kuntz's 40-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-8 broad jump topped all prospects at the position. His 23 bench press reps tied for the most along with South Dakota State's Tucker Kraft and Penn State's Brenton Strange.

JETS' 2023 DRAFTEE

ROUND 7 (No. 220 overall)

Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion 

Ht: 6073 | Wt: 255 | Hand: 1028 | Arm: 3400 | 40: 4.55 

NFL Draft Bible Excerpt: "A huge target who is the ultimate underneath security blanket. His combination of size, speed and agility give him excellent potential as a pass-catching tight end."

RELEVANT LINKS:

Jets' Draft Tracker: Logging the Picks as They Happen

Iowa State 'Cyclone Boys' Ready to Fuel Jets

Jets Country 2023 Offseason Personnel Tracker

2023 TE Athleticism Score Leaderboard 📋@ODUFootball's Zack Kuntz led the position with a 94 athleticism score, setting combine records for tight ends of his height (6'7"+, since 2003):

🔹 40-Yard Dash: 4.55 (1st)
🔹 Broad Jump: 10'8" (1st)
🔹 Vertical Jump: 40" (1st) pic.twitter.com/dCYhT0kjWQ

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 5, 2023