HUDSON— For the longest time the New York Jets have been the laughing stock of the NFL. Since 2010 the Jets have a win percentage less than 30%, which ranks second to last among NFL teams. Every year they have a chance to change the narrative at the NFL draft, come away with players who can change the trajectory of the franchise. 2026, a year where they have 3 first round picks, should have been the time to do this. Instead, the Jets missed many opportunities and didn’t better their team as much as they could.
To be clear there were several Jets picks I liked a lot this year. For example, D’Angelo Ponds and Darrel Jackson Jr. at picks 50 and 103 are great value and great scheme fits for Aaron Glenn. Ponds is a sticky corner who despite being 5 ‘9 has all of the tools to be a lockdown corner on the outside for the Jets. Jackson’s pass rush and run stopping upside gives hope to a diminished group of defensive tackles. Having a couple good day 2 and 3 picks can’t save a draft with a bad day 1, the Jets proved this.
Going into the draft the biggest debate was, “Who are the Jets taking at pick 2?” The conversation boiled down to David Bailey, edge rusher from Texas Tech, and Arvell Reese, linebacker from Ohio St. Because of the hype around pick 2, I watched the film on Reese and Bailey early in the draft process. I was astonished with how big the gap between Reese and Bailey was. Reese stood out as a powerful and quick player who made an impact off the edge and played off the ball. Bailey on the other hand, was a slimmer edge rusher who was unplayable against the run and had below average bend for a speed rusher. I started watching scouting videos on Bailey to see what the appeal was and I still wasn’t impressed.
A week has passed since the draft and I am still in shock on how people saw Bailey as a better player than Reese.
It’s okay though, the Jets also held picks 16 and 30. Perfect chances to rebound and get their draft back on track. I thought. At pick 16 the Jets selected a tight end who had less than 600 yards in 2025, Kenyon Sadiq. I knew Sadiq was going in the first round, but not to a team who drafted a tight end last year in the second round. I would’ve accepted the selection if Sadiq was a Brock Bowers type prospect, a guy who will undoubtedly produce in the NFL. Sadiq is a gamble, a stupid gamble. You don’t know how he’ll develop at the next level, tight end isn’t a huge position of need, and his flaws like route-running are evident on film. Unlike pick 2, I could live with the pick, you hopefully get an upgrade in the slot which was a position of need. I erased every thought I had in the previous sentence after hearing pick 30. Omar Cooper Jr., a receiver from Indiana was the Jets selection at 30. Good value at the end of the first round. An upgrade in the slot which was a position of need. Oh wait, that’s exactly what they did an hour earlier at pick 16. As a Patriots fan I was happy to see the Jets piloting themselves to the bottom of the AFC East for another year, as an NFL draft fan I was puzzled.
The Jets 3 first round picks went from the perfect start of the rebuild, to an edge rusher who is unplayable for over half of the downs, and two players who fill the same need.
