The Jets' 2026 NFL draft class has quickly made an impact and a spot on The Athletic's Dane Brugler's NFL midseason All-Rookie Team. First-round selections edge David Bailey (No. 2) and TE Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16) made the first team and WR Omar Cooper Jr. (No. 30) and the Jets' fourth-round pick, DT Darrell Jackson Jr. (No. 103) made the second team. CB D'Angelo Ponds (No. 50) also received honorable mention on Brugler's list.
First Team: David Bailey & Kenyon Sadiq
While David Bailey missed Week 8 with a groin injury, he returned to action last Sunday against the Chiefs and had 2 sacks on QB Patrick Mahomes and forced 2 fumbles. Bailey leads all rookies with 7.5 sacks, 11 TFL, 31 pressures and 5 forced fumbles, which also leads the NFL.
"There isn't much debate for the top two spots," said Brugler, who listed Bailey and New England's Gabe Jacas as his first-team edge rushers. "[Bailey] has taken his game to another level over his last four outings."
The rookie out of Texas Tech had his best performance in the Jets' Week 5 win over the Browns with 3 sacks of QB Deshaun Watson.
"Any time he's on the field, it definitely benefits us as a team, as a unit," S Dane Belton said. "Love having him out there."
Kenyon Sadiq was the first TE selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he leads all rookie TEs with 21 receptions and 235 receiving yards. The Oregon product scored his first NFL TD in his 105-yard performance against the Lions in Week 3.
"Each game, Sadiq seems to have a catch on which he is asked to high-point and finish showing off his ball skills at different elevations," Brugler said.
Against the Chiefs, Sadiq made4 receptions for 49 yards and played 57% of the Jets' offensive snaps, particularly making an impact with his blocking.
"I think that's one part of his game that he really doesn't get a lot of credit for is his blocking, and I thought he did a really good job with that," HC Aaron Glenn said. "The mismatches in the passing game really showed up and his ability to block at the point of attack is something that's really improving for us."
Second Team: Omar Cooper Jr. & Darrell Jackson Jr.
Omar Cooper Jr. has only played in 5 games, but Dane Brugler said "it has been a small, yet impressive sample size" and included him on the WR second team along with Philadelphia's Makai Lemon and Pittsburgh's Germie Bernard.
His 306 receiving yards ranks fifth among rookies.
Cooper sustained an ankle injury on the opening drive of the Jets' Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans and was placed on injured reserve. His first game back was in Week 6 against the New England Patriots, and Cooper had 6 receptions for 103 yards.
He followed up that performance with 115 yards the following week against the Dolphins. Cooper scored touchdowns in each game and became the first player in over 40 seasons to record multiple games of 100-plus receiving yards and a receiving TD within their first three career games and the first to do so in consecutive games.
Cooper and Sadiq are two of six Jets to record a 100-plus yard game, the Jets' most since 2010 and the fifth time in franchise history they've had at least six in a season.
Darrell Jackson Jr.'s workload has steadily increased throughout the season, which is why Brugler included him on the DT second team with Carolina's Lee Hunter.
Over the last four games, Jackson has played at least 35 defensive snaps, and he has 26 total tackles, which leads all rookie DTs, and 1 sack.
"He's steady growing into what we want him to do as far as technique and the fundamentals of the position," HC Aaron Glenn said a few weeks ago. "He's a big man, he has long arms, he's strong, he plays with extension, he can disengage well. So, each week, he's just getting better and better and I like exactly where he's at."
Honorable Mention: D'Angelo Ponds
At nickelback, D'Angelo Ponds was listed as an honorable mention in Dane Brugler's list. The rookie CB out of Indiana made his first career start in Week 9 against the Chiefs.
Ponds missed the first 2 games of the season after missing training camp with a calf strain and made his NFL debut in Week 3. HC Aaron Glenn said it was time for Ponds "to get out there and play."
"He's been building up throughout this time, improving in practice," Glenn said of Ponds who played 22 defensive snaps last Sunday. "I always said that when it's time for him to play, he'll go out there and play."
