The Jets currently have the No. 2 & No. 16 picks in the 2026 draft. Below is a compilation of mock drafts. The views expressed are not representative of any Jets personnel.

NFL.com – Daniel Jeremiah

No. 2: Edge David Bailey – Texas Tech
"The Jets have their pick of the draft's finest edge rushers here. Bailey's combination of explosiveness and production is the best of the bunch."

No. 16: OL Olaivavega Loane – Penn State
"I know quarterback is a huge need for the Jets, but I don't see a QB worthy of the 16th overall pick this year. So, they can take the best player available here. I view Ioane as the best offensive lineman in the draft. He can fill the void with the injury-plagued Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson headed for free agency."

CBS Sports – Josh Edwards

No. 2: Edge David Bailey – Texas Tech
"Beyond Fernando Mendoza, I would understand players coming off the board in almost any order. It sounds like a copout, but that is the reality of a draft class lacking any obvious blue-chip talents. Safety Caleb Downs may be the safest prospect, but he plays a position most teams do not consider premium. Teams will also have varying opinions of Ohio State's Arvell Reese. Is he a pass rusher? Is he a linebacker? New York takes a finished product who was unblockable this fall. Bailey (81) finished second to Rueben Bain Jr. (83) in pressures this season, according to TruMedia, in two fewer games. His 14.5 sacks led Division I."

No. 16: DL Peter Woods – Clemson
"After taking Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey at No. 2 overall, the Jets address a position weakened by the Quinnen Williams trade. Peter Woods has "slipped," but he never profiled as a locked-in top-five selection. Aaron Glenn gets a few pillars on defense heading into an important year."

PFF – Gordon McGuinness

No. 2: S Caleb Downs – Ohio State
"Downs notched an 85.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of the past three seasons and is firmly in the conversation as the best overall player in this draft. Positional value will determine when he ultimately comes off the board but look back at the 2022 NFL Draft and consider how much earlier Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton would go in a redo."

No. 16: DL Peter Woods – Clemson
"The Jets continue to upgrade their defense with the second of their first-round draft picks, adding some talent to the interior defensive line. Woods is coming off his lowest-graded season in three years, but with PFF overall grades above 83.0 in both 2023 and 2024, the talent is clearly there."

NFL.com – Chad Reuter

No. 2: Edge Arvell Reese – Ohio State
"Given a chance to start in his junior year, Reese exploded on the scene, becoming a disruptive force with his length and closing speed, racking up 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Should veteran Quincy Williams head elsewhere in for free agency, Reese can step in."

No. 16: QB Ty Simpson – Alabama
"Like the Giants when they took Abdul Carter (third overall) and Jaxson Dart (25th) last year, the Jets follow their early selection of an impact defender (Arvell Reese) with a potential starting quarterback later in Round 1. Simpson might not be a top-10 pick, but the son of a longtime college head coach clearly knows the game and possesses the arm strength, pocket poise and mobility to excel."

No. 33: DL Peter Woods – Clemson
No. 44: WR Malachi Fields – Notre Dame

CBS Sports – Garrett Podell

No. 2: Edge Arvell Reese – Ohio State
"The Jets need playmakers on defense after trading away two All-Pros in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline. Reese was an inside linebacker in college for most of his career at Ohio State, but he did play 51% of his snaps as an edge rusher in 2025. That's going to be the 2025 Big Ten Linebacker of the Year's ideal, long-term position as a pro."

No. 16: WR Makai Lemon – USC
"Lemon earned the distinction of being named college football's top wide receiver as the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner. He thrives out of the slot where he frees himself with quickness and agility off the line of scrimmage, well-timed route running and ball skills. Despite being 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, his play style feels bigger than his stature, which is how he regularly breaks tackles for extra yards. The Jets could use him opposite Garrett Wilson, and the only reason Lemon falls this far is his size."