It is never too early for a 2026 NFL mock draft.
ESPN’s Matt Miller released his “2026 NFL mock draft: Early predictions for first-round picks” on Monday, June 30. With the No. 4 overall pick in the first round, he projected the New York Jets to select Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
“The Jets could look for a receiver to help Garrett Wilson, but there’s not one who’s likely to be picked this high right now. Instead, defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn would get a true, three-down difference-maker. Hill was a stat-sheet filler in 2024, posting 113 tackles, 8 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and a 32-yard pick-six. His range in coverage and blitzing ability reminds [me] of Fred Warner, but at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Hill could get the Micah Parsons treatment and move to an edge rusher role. That makes him the rare linebacker worthy of a top-five pick,” Miller explained.
“The 1-32 order for this mock draft comes from ESPN’s Football Power Index, which uses thousands of simulations to predict the 2025 NFL season,” Miller added.
A Do It All Man for the Jets Defense Is Exactly What the Doctor Ordered
Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus revealed the top 10 linebackers you need to know ahead of the 2026 NFL draft. The first name he listed was Anthony Hill Jr, out of Texas.
“Hill entered college as a five-star recruit and immediately lived up to the hype, starting immediately as a true freshman. He’s constantly around the football, whether that’s as a run defender, pass-rusher, or in coverage. Since 2023, his 32 coverage stops are tied for the most among FBS linebackers, while his 10 sacks and five forced fumbles are tied for the most among Power Four ones. Hill has had 127 plays where he’s made first contact on the ballcarrier in that same span, the most of any returning Power Four linebacker,” Chadwick explained.
“Hill is a versatile athlete who wears many different hats for the Longhorns’ defense and could find his way into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft,” Chadwick speculated in his column.
The Jets could use an off-ball linebacker if Quincy Williams departs as a free agent next offseason. They could also be seeking a pass rusher, pending how Jermaine Johnson recovers from his torn Achilles in 2025. Even if he comes back full flower, you can never have enough juice in the edge rusher department.
The Not so Obvious Vote of Confidence for Jets QB Justin Fields
Miller didn’t give the Jets a quarterback in the first round of this 2026 mock simulation.
Four quarterbacks were predicted to be first-rounders in this class by Miller: Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns), LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (No. 11 overall to the Indianapolis Colts), South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (No. 16 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers), Penn State’s Drew Allar (No. 27 overall to the Los Angeles Rams).
If the Jets don’t take a QB in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, that likely means that Justin Fields did enough to stick around.
The Jets are all in on Fields in 2025. It’s up to him to prove they were right. If he doesn’t, the Jets will have other options to explore, including the 2026 NFL draft.
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