Get to know new Browns CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse

On Tuesday, all NFL clubs had to get down to a 53-man roster. This used to be referred to as a “final roster” but is now entitled an “initial roster.” It was interesting to look at how each of those players were acquired.

The reason is that the day after the rosters are announced, the process of sifting through all of the team player cuts begins, and club GMs begin grabbing guys who were released from their former squad. So, a guy becomes safe one day, and 24 hours later, he is cut to make room for the new guy.

RELATED: BROWNS SHAKE UP ROSTER WITH A COUPLE OF WAIVER CLAIMS

Browns GM Andrew Berry signed two players off of other rosters on Wednesday: RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders from the Los Angeles Chargers and former New York Jet CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse. Now, Cleveland has two guys named Sanders on the same squad.

In order to keep Bernard-Converse, Berry had to make a corresponding move. The end result was that undrafted rookie free agent CB Dom Jones was waived, which gave him a full day to enjoy being a Cleveland Brown. This makes this a one-for-one swap at the same position. Jones could return to the team on the practice squad soon.

So, who is Jarrick Bernard-Converse?

Beginnings

Bernard-Converse (6’-1”, 205 pounds) grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. Which means his food palette includes hot sauce on everything from scrambled eggs to steak to fried gator tail served with sweet tea. He attended Evangel Christian Academy, where he played safety for the football team and excelled at track.

Evangel Christian is a perennial Louisiana powerhouse football program whose motto is “God, Family, Football.” Their football program has captured 14 state titles plus one national championship, and sent 15 players to the NFL. In all, regarding all boys and girls sports, the school has produced 81 district titles, 45 state championships, one national championship, plus sent 30 athletes to the professional levels.

Their track team alone has garnered three girls’ state championships and 10 boys’ state championship seasons. Bernard-Converse ran in the 400-meter dash (1:00:26) and the 800-meter run (2:55:37), plus the high jump. In football, he was a member of the 2016 state championship team with a 38-6 win over second-seeded Scotlandville, but lost in the state semifinals in his senior year. Bernard-Converse was named All-LHSAA District three consecutive years.

He was also a four-time selection to the Principal’s Honor List. 24/7 Sports and Rivals.com rated him as a Top-50 player in the State of Louisiana and a three-star prospect. Bernard-Converse chose Oklahoma State (OSU) as his next adventure.

OSU jumped all over him and started him in nine games in his freshman campaign. He had 59 total tackles, one batted pass, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. And played in all 13 games. The following season, he posted 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.0 tackles for loss, an interception, and five pass breakups. He was also a First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.

His junior year became a pandemic season. OSU did play 11 games, of which Bernard-Converse started each contest. His stats include 32 tackles, one tackle for loss, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, and he was again named First Team Academic All-Big 12.

This meant that Bernard-Converse had two senior seasons, one at OSU, while his super senior year, he transferred to LSU. Combined, he started all 26 games with 92 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two picks, 13 batted passes, and one forced fumble. In his final year at OSU, he was named First Team All-Big 12. OSU lost to Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game 21-16.  

While at LSU, they started him at cornerback for seven games and kept him at his natural position of safety the remaining matches.

During his college career, he appeared in 64 games with 56 starts and once had a 47-game consecutive streak. Bernard-Converse graduated with a degree in pre-veterinary medicine. His X handle is @TheJBnard, while his Instagram account is @thejbnard.

The next level

Being a track guy, Bernard-Converse ran a 4.4 in the 40 with a 42” vertical jump. The scouting report on him was that he had the speed to flip his hips and tracked the ball well. He also had playmaking ability in zone with good ball skills. The knock on him is that he struggles with changes of direction and transitions. He also doesn’t have elite recovery speed.

Bernard-Converse was drafted in Round 6 by the New York Jets, who have a proven defense. He then inked a four-year $4.05 million deal, which included a $165,112 signing bonus and $165,112 guaranteed. Early in training camp, he injured his foot, which forced the team to place him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to start the 2023 season. He returned in late October and played the final eight games mainly on special teams.

In last year’s training camp, he had an exceptional camp and was considered the leading candidate for the nickel CB position. He played in seven games and was a special teams standout that included a 92.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF).

During this year’s camp, he was a standout player and one of the team’s best overall players in each of the last two preseasons. However, New York had a logjam at cornerback. In this year’s preseason games, Bernard-Converse posted a stellar 82.9 PFF overall grade. While playing cornerback, he allowed just two catches for 22 yards on seven targets, and had a team-best 40.2 passer rating when targeted.  

He became a player who was in regular conversions for starting at nickel as a pure cover corner. Bernard-Converse is a versatile young defensive back who impressed this summer.

The Jets waived him, hoping that they could sneak him onto their practice squad and later bring him up to their main roster. Browns GM Berry nabbed him instead.

The thought process is that the Jets made a mistake, and now the Browns will gain the talented CB who can be utilized at both safety, linebacker, and cornerback. In 2025, Bernard-Converse will earn a base salary of $1.03 million, while carrying a cap hit of $1,030,000.

Is the signing of Bernard-Converse going to alter the course of this Browns defense this season? Of course not. But he will bring versatility and an upgrade for both the defensive backfield depth and as an ace for punt and kickoff teams.