The Jets hope their 2026 draft class will become a large step in their build back to prominence. After 275 picks over seven rounds, the NFL draft grades are rolling in from the pundits, and the consensus is the Jets got better -- better in a big way.
"I loved what the Jets were able to do," Fox Sports college football and NFL draft analyst Joel Klatt said during an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show." "They need talent everywhere, they need speed, they need explosiveness, their entire roster needed a revamp and they were able to do that. Getting David Bailey, that's immediate juice on their defense which they need."
After watching the film of Bailey throughout the year, the Jets met with the Texas Tech edge at the combine and then had a contingent travel to Lubbock, TX, for his pro day and a private dinner. After the deep dive, the Green & White had their guy.
"They knew it was Bailey," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero during an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show." "And if you talk to 10 people around the NFL, nine or 10 are going to say, 'You have to take David Bailey, he's the best pass rusher in the draft.' Arvell Reese [No. 5, Giants], really talented player but it's a projection."
After landing the best pass rusher in the draft, the Jets landed one of the top offensive weapons in the class. While many thought the Jets would take a receiver at No. 16, the Jets opted for a highly athletic, explosive player who will give them myriad options in Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq.
"I've been a huge fan of Kenyon Sadiq," Klatt said. "I think he is the prototypical perfect modern tight end because he gives you a ton of flexibility. You just don't flex him out, you just don't put him inline. So, he has the ability to be a great blocker and help your run game and you can flex him out and he has outrageous athleticism."
The Jets got aggressive late in the first round. With Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. still on the board, GM Darren Mougey started calling teams and he found a trade partner in the San Francisco 49ers. After taking Sadiq, the Jets were still able to get a top wideout in Cooper. Lethal with the ball in his hands, Cooper Jr. forced 24 missed tackles last season according to Pro Football Focus.
"I thought there were scenarios where Sadiq could have gone 14 or 15 and they might have taken Omar Cooper Jr. at 16," Pelissero said. "Instead, they trade back and they get him at 30. For the Jets needing to get an influx of talent on offense, build out those playmakers for whoever the quarterback is going to be, and we'll see what they do in this draft. Obviously, next year they have three first-round picks in 2027 as well. They're going to get the franchise quarterback, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Kenyon Sadiq, Omar Cooper Jr. -- this is how you build the nest for that guy to succeed."
Geno Smith will have the first chance to succeed with an offensive skills group that has had a serious talent infusion. While the Jets have a massive 2027 draft bounty, they cashed in on what was the league's best draft capital heading into last weekend.
"I thought they did a great job addressing their needs," said NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson. "They got the best pass rusher in this year's draft in David Bailey out of Texas Tech, the natural. He understands how to get to the quarterback and a very efficient rusher. He understands how to bend the corner and bring the quarterback down. That's a powerful rusher, that's a guy that [can] change the game. That's a guy that can help your defensive backs get interceptions by putting pressure on the quarterback.
"Then you talk about one of the most versatile athletes in all of the draft in Kenyon Sadiq, watched this kid the past couple of years, tight end out of Oregon, he can do it all. I expect them to line him up at wide receiver sometimes. If you have a cornerback on him, so what still throw it to him. He has the body and the size to go up and make those contested catches that you talk about so often and this kid can take handoffs if you need him to. He can do it all."
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller wrote that the Jets were the team that checked off most needs: "New York didn't draft a quarterback early, but it crossed off plenty of other needs with picks at edge -rusher, tight end, wide receiver, cornerback, defensive tackle, guard and safety to go alongside Day 3 quarterback Cade Klubnik. And the Jets head into the 2027 draft with three first-round picks in to get that franchise quarterback."
In the second round, the Jets grabbed one of the most impressive defensive backs in the class with a trade-down and the subsequent selection of Cooper's college teammate, D'Angelo Ponds. Ponds' 54 tackles last season were the third-most among all Power 4 cornerbacks. And the Jets made multiple value plays on Day 3 with Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr. (Rd 4, No. 103), Miami G Anez Cooper (Rd 6, No. 188) and Kansas State DB VJ Payne (Rd 7, No. 228). And Miller thinks in five years, the league will wonder why Omar Cooper Jr. fell to the bottom of the first round.
"It's a head-scratcher that the Indiana receiver fell to the No. 30 pick, and he'll be a steal if the Jets can figure out the quarterback position," he said. "Cooper's ability to make tough catches without decelerating is his best trait, and he'll do serious work on underneath routes while [Garrett] Wilson keeps safeties on their heels."
