This would be a worst-case scenario for the New York Jets.
In Nick Baumgardner’s mock draft for The Athletic, he predicted that the Jets would get sniped at the quarterback position.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Oregon quarterback Dante Moore with the No. 1 overall pick. While the Cleveland Browns traded up with the New York Giants to acquire the No. 2 overall pick, in this simulation, to land Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.
That left the Jets swinging in the wind with the No. 3 overall pick. Baumgardner had the Jets pivot to taking the best player available instead: Ohio State pass rusher/linebacker Arvell Reese.
“The draft capital champions of 2026 (hooray!), the Jets will have more flexibility this spring — and probably next — than any other team in the league. That’s a good thing, as New York basically has to start over from scratch. You could make a need-based argument for nearly every position on the field. Here, the Jets take the best player available and keep it moving,” Baumgardner wrote.
In this mock situation, the Jets had the No. 1 overall pick of any non-quarterback in the draft.
Jets Can Copy a Page From the Giants Playbook
While the Jets punted at quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick, Baumgardner still predicted them to land a quarterback in round one.
With the No. 18 overall pick via the Indianapolis Colts, he had the Jets selecting Alabama passer Ty Simpson.
“We’ve talked so much about the Jets’ flexibility draft-wise, specifically their ability to punt on a quarterback decision until 2027 if they feel the need. We’re also still not sure what the actual prospect board will look like at the QB position in 2026. However, if Simpson declares, he’d become a very intriguing option for the Jets (and others) this spring,” Baumgardner explained.
In the 2025 NFL draft, the Giants went best player available with the No. 3 overall pick. They took pass rusher Abdul Carter out of Penn State. Then, in the backend of the first round, the Giants traded up for their quarterback, Jaxson Dart.
That worked out for the G-Men; perhaps it can work out for the green and white.
A Rooting Interest That Can Help out the Jets
The green and white can no longer land the No. 1 overall pick organically. One rooting interest could be for the Giants to land that top pick instead of Las Vegas.
The thinking is that the Giants would be more open to a trade than the Raiders.
However, another line of thought could be rooting for the Giants to win in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys at home. That win, paired with a Jets loss to the Buffalo Bills, could jump the Giants in the draft order, and Gang Green would finish with the No. 2 overall pick.
In that scenario, the Jets could just get whatever QB Vegas doesn’t take and save their assets to build around said passer.
The key for the Jets is finding a way to land a quarterback with upside this offseason. This fan base desperately needs hope, something to believe in, because right now that isn’t available.
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