Jets GM Darren Mougey operates in a world where statistics and numbers are everywhere. While overseeing a roster that started training camp with 90 players and will be cut down to 53 on Aug. 30, examining the rosters of the NFL's 31 other clubs and managing a college scouting staff that is preparing daily for the 2027 NFL Draft, Mougey is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics to get a step ahead.
"Specifically in my world, in the scouring and the personnel, there is so much data now," he told reporters Wednesday at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. "There is so much data whether it's college, whether it's pro but how we're deciphering the data, how we're breaking it down, how we're digesting it, how it's getting presented to me is huge. I feel like we have some of the best with [Chief Data & Analytics Officer Iwao Fusillo] and [Director of Analytics and Strategy Sean Clement] and our analytics staff who are breaking down all the data, feeding it to me, feeding it to the coaching staff. Here is what's important, here is what we're doing but also challenging us on some things and us challenging them."
After hiring Clement last summer, the Jets added Fusillo in January. Mougey said there has been organizational buy-in to AI and analytics from Chairman Woody Johnson to team president Hymie Elahi on the business side and the second-year GM talks to HC Aaron Glenn about how they can leverage rapidly evolving technologies as well.
"It's a different lens," Mougey said. "It's been very helpful, it's important. On the AI front to this point is what it's helped with the most is the automation of things, we're saving a lot of man hours being able to automate information and systems and spit it out quickly. So, it's been huge and I look forward to the continued growth as an organization with the AI and analytics."
The Jets opened their training camp practice scheduled with a 90-minute morning session. They'll return to the field Thursday morning before their Back Together Weekend practice on Saturday at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
"It's always a fun time of year, be back in the building the past few days around the players, coaches and then to get on the field today" Mougey said. "It felt good, always an exciting time. Love watching the team kind of take shape through these next four or five weeks, watching the guys compete as we go into the season."
Mougey gave the roster a facelift in the offseason as QB Geno Smith, LB Demario Davis and S Minkah Fitzpatrick were the headline acquisitions during a free agency/trading period that also included the signings of several veterans including DL David Onyemata, edges Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai and G Dylan Parham plus the trade acquisition of DT T'Vondre Sweat. Then Mougey drafted eight players and the Jets became the NFL's only team with three first round selections in edge David Bailey, TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper Jr..
See Garrett Wilson & the Jets players on the field for the first time during the 2026 training camp held at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
"I'm excited to watch it," Mougey said. "I'm excited to watch some of these young guys who just got here, how they kind of take shape and take mold throughout training camp and watch them grow and watch some of our veteran players who have been here and some of the new veteran players that we brought in, kind of their role evolve and kind of how they lead some of these young guys. That's all part of the thing that I really enjoy during training camp, watching how those things evolve and how it comes together."
In the NFL, the roster is never final. It is an evolving organism and Mougey, using AI and analytics, will continue to digest the data and see where he can make improvements.
"It starts right now and we'll always keep a close eye on the market and the landscape whether it's street or on other teams," Mougey said. "Every position we are meeting daily and having discussions about other rosters and what's on the street and what can fit on the team, but it's a fun time of year. Especially once you get those preseason games under the belt and you kind of start forecasting what teams might do certain moves and having those conversations with teams as we get into those preseason games two and three and if there are any opportunities that you might have a match with a team that makes a move, so it's an exciting time of year."
