One in a series of articles that will also appear in the New York Jets 2026 Yearbook, which will be published this summer.
Just days after the Jets had completed their 2025 regular season, general manager Darren Mougey set the tone for a critical offseason ahead.
"I feel more confident today than ever moving forward with what we have going," Mougey said.
Mougey pointed to familiarity with head coach Aaron Glenn plus financial flexibility and a bounty of draft capital.
"I've learned a lot, we've learned a lot," Mougey said. "We've got a clear vision. AG and I, we talk daily on this roster and the vision and this division. And with the assets we have moving forward, the draft capital, the cap space, I know we're going to continue to build and add good players to the team that are going to help us win."
Mougey emphasized an aggressive but calculated approach in free agency. He sought out established veterans who could help production on the field and provide leadership inside the locker room. At the onset of the new league year, he traded with the Raiders for QB Geno Smith and the Dolphins for S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Then he landed a commander for his defense with the signing of LB Demario Davis, who returns to the Green & White for a third stint.
"We were one of the youngest teams in the NFL," Mougey said. "So we talked about that in the offseason and targeted a few guys and were able to land those guys and feel really good about the team and where we're at now."
After addressing several of their needs in free agency, the Jets selected eight players in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Jets were the only team to draft three times in the first round, and edge David Bailey (No. 2 overall), TE Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16) and WR Omar Cooper Jr. (No. 30) plus CB D'Angelo Ponds (Round 2, No. 50) will all be counted on to make immediate contributions.
Mougey praised the processes and communication he's engaged in with Glenn and the coaching staff.
"It's definitely a more comfortable feeling going in knowing you have a whole year with your processes," he said. "We changed the entire grading scale from our last draft, so we're on a different scale, a different system. I felt much more comfortable visualizing the board this year and kind of knowing how it was going to fall. And I feel really good about where we're at as a whole staff."
Mougey executed four trades during the draft, acquiring WR Cooper, QB Cade Klubnik (Round 4, No. 110) and Miami G Anez Cooper (Round 6, No. 188) following trade ups and selecting Ponds after a move back.
Entering his second year on the job, the GM has reshaped the roster, making 18 trades with 15 teams. And while he's confident the Jets will be competitive this season, Mougey is set to have a ton of financial flexibility and even more draft capital next April with three first-round picks and 10 selections overall.
