Heading into the offseason, the New York Jets are uniquely positioned to overhaul their roster and inject some talent into a group that needs it.
According to Tankathon, the Jets lead the league in total draft capital, boasting a 1,345.8 score, which is a cumulative grade based on the value and total of a team’s draft capital.
Armed with four picks in the first two rounds, general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn will be able to put their fingerprints all over the roster, and hopefully, get the bad taste out of everyone’s mouth from this woeful season.
The roster, evident by 2025, has several holes on both sides of the ball, and the best thing New York’s brass can do is find true impact players who will make an immediate difference come Week 1.
In the latest mock draft from A to Z Sports, the Jets are projected to do just that.
Mock Draft Has Jets Land Hopeful Franchise Quarterback
In what would be a brilliant stroke of luck for the New York Jets, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza falls in their laps at No. 3 overall,
The Las Vegas Raiders decide on Oregon’s Dante Moore No. 1 overall in the hypothetical draft, allowing the Indiana University quarterback to slide to New York.
“I know the Jets have acquired a ton of draft capital for 2026 and 2027, but this team was horrible on offense in 2025. It’s easy to say that you can wait for a QB class that should be better on paper in 2027, but if the Jets lose the way they did this year in 2026, the regime may not be around,” wrote A to Z Sports’ Rob Gregson.
“Mendoza’s elite football intellect and precision passing feel like a safe bet, even for the Jets.”
Mendoza would be a homerun selection for the Jets, a team starved for success and consistent quarterback play.
It’s no guarantee the Hoosiers’ trigger man will turn out to be the elite player, but he’s the most pro-ready quarterback in the class and would certainly provide the Jets with better play under center than they’ve gotten from the likes of Brady Cook.
With the most important piece of their offense solved at No. 3, what player can New York target with their second selection of the first round?
Jets Find Quarterback of the Defense at No. 18
Thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade with the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets use the No. 18 overall pick to select Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
With veteran Quincy Williams set to depart in free agency, and Jamien Sherwood underperforming on his new contract, New York needs to find a force in the middle of their defense that can set the tone with his play.
“With their first selection in this mock, the Jets landed their QB of the future in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. So, with their second first-round pick, I think they should use the ‘best player available’ tactic, and to me, that points to one player,” wrote A to Z Sports’ Destin Adams.
“If you ask me, Ohio State LB Sonny Styles can fit in any defense and is one of the best players in this upcoming draft class. He would be quite the get for a Jets team that needs more premium talent.”
While some may point to the linebacker position as less valuable than others, getting a player of Styles’ caliber would certainly elevate New York’s dreadful defense.
Armed with two Day 1 difference makers coming out of this hypothetical draft, the Jets are set up for the first steps of success heading into 2026.
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