New York Jets 2018 Positional Battles: Tight end

Clive Walford

Clive Walford is a very intriguing signing. He is a player that some saw as a good fit for the Jets when he came out of school in 2015. In his final year with the Miami Hurricanes he posted 676 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. At the Combine he ran a 4.79 forty yard dash. Despite the time, Walford showed himself to be a solid threat to find the red zone and was drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft by the Oakland Raiders.

Walford never became the starting tight end in Oakland, with his best year coming in 2016. After starter Lee Smith went down with an injury, Walford’s role increased and he recorded 33 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns. Coach Jack Del Rio set him up as the third tight end in 2017 and so he only recorded nine receptions for 80 yards. A concussion late in the season limited Walford to only 13 games.

The Raiders were never able to get the expected value out of Clive Walford. With his play in college, if anyone is going to push the very young tight ends it is going to be Walford. That’s no guarantee, of course, and he may just be a better college player than an NFL player. It sure will be intriguing to watch him work during training camp, though. There clearly was something there.