The New York Jets lost the Fernando Mendoza sweepstakes when the Las Vegas Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That was brutal news for the Jets, who have no concrete plan at quarterback. They’ve tried everything. 2018 first-round pick Sam Darnold just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson is a backup quarterback. Along the way, experiments spanning from Aaron Rodgers to Justin Fields have all backfired.
While the Jets don’t have an obvious plan to find a franchise quarterback this offseason, they’re still positioned decently to load up on talent this offseason.
The Jets retained Aaron Glenn after a wildly disappointing first year as head coach. With the No. 2 overall selection, the Jets will likely land a defensive superstar.
And they’ll have plenty of options.
Ohio State pass rusher Arvell Reese can do a little bit of everything as an outside linebacker from rushing the passer to dropping back in coverage. Miami’s Reuben Bain Jr. was a game changer during Miami’s trip to the national championship. Texas Tech’s David Bailey wouldn’t be a bad choice, either.
Fast-rising non-pass rushers from Ohio State include linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs. While the positional value of a linebacker and safety generally don’t warrant the No. 2 overall selection, there’s no doubt that these two players will help an organization reimagine their entire defense.
Not to mention, the Jets aren’t winning the Super Bowl next season. They hosted a fire sale at the NFL trade deadline, moving superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams for three total first-round selections.
The Jets can gamble on a player that they believe will turn into a defensive superstar at No. 2 overall, because they also will be on the clock at No. 16 overall. In the second round, the Jets have two premium selections at No. 33 and No. 44.
Of course, they need to nail these selections. It all sounds great on paper, but if these four premium rookies bust, it was all for nothing.
But the Jets can wait around until the 2027 NFL Draft for their quarterback of the future. They’ll have three first-round picks in a class where Arch Manning and Dante Moore will headline a much better quarterback class. Rebuild the defense this year, and focus on building up the offense around the franchise quarterback in 2027.
The Jets have enough draft capital. Trading back shouldn’t be entertained. They need to lean on all of the information they can possibly obtain to make sure they select the right defensive star at No. 2 overall.
From there, life gets a little bit easier.
