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.
No. 2: LB Arvell Reese – Ohio State
"It seems like the Jets are locked into an edge defender at No. 2 overall after trading Jermaine Johnson II to the Tennessee Titans. None of New York's remaining edge rushers placed even in the top 80 of PFF overall grade this past season. Reese is listed as an off-ball linebacker, but he very well may make the move to edge defender in the NFL. His eight sacks were tied for the fourth most among all college linebackers, and he logged an 86.5 PFF run-defense grade to boot."
No. 16: WR Denzel Boston – Washington
"It's unknown who will play quarterback for the Jets in 2026, but it is known that New York needs to upgrade its receiving corps regardless. Boston's size (6-foot-4) would complement Garrett Wilson nicely, and his 87.2 PFF receiving grade this past season ranked ninth among all college football receivers."
No. 33: QB Ty Simpson – Alabama
No. 44: CB Chris Johnson – San Diego State
No. 2: LB Arvell Reese – Ohio State
"Sonny Styles had the best testing performance of any linebacker in the class, but Reese is still the most dynamic front-seven disruptor in this group. He's the closest thing to Micah Parsons since Micah Parsons."
No. 16: WR Jordyn Tyson – Arizona State
"Medicals will be a big deal here — Tyson didn't test at the combine, and his injury history is hardly ideal. If he's healthy, though, this is the most complete and quarterback-friendly receiver in the draft."
No. 2: LB Arvell Reese – Ohio State
"Some players who split time between two positions are "tweeners" who don't really excel at either spot. A very small number of players who play two spots put up elite performances at both. Reese fits into the latter. He's a true front-seven weapon who should excel wherever his future team puts him. He can cover, play the run and rush the passer, making him a rare and versatile linebacker prospect at the top of the draft. The Jets' defense was so bad that someone who can plug multiple spots depending on the situation is exactly what they need."
No. 16: CB Avieon Terrell – Clemson
"Another player for the broken Jets' defense. Like his older brother A.J., a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Falcons, Avieon didn't have the most explosive day at the combine (his 34-inch vertical ranked among the bottom third of CBs and his 10-feet, 3-inch broad jump was also in the lower tier in this group) but he still has the profile of a starting outside cornerback in the NFL, which is still an incredibly valuable thing to find. That works here for the Jets."
No. 2: Edge David Bailey – Texas Tech
"In my first mock of this draft cycle, I had the Jets taking Arvell Reese. This time around, New York grabs a more game-ready pass rusher who can pile up pressures and sacks."
*Projected Trade with the Kansas City Chiefs*
No. 9: S Caleb Downs – Ohio State
"New York dips into its deep draft capital to leap up the board for an enticing prospect. Aaron Glenn saw what a difference Brian Branch made in Detroit, so the second-year head coach pounces on this fiery safety to help change the culture of his defense."
No. 2: LB Arvell Reese – Ohio State
"The Jets completely remade their defense with numerous moves, like trading for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat from the Titans and five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Dolphins. They also signed Pro Bowl cornerback Nahshon Wright to a one-year deal. Adding the explosive Arvell Reese to beef up their pass rush could be exactly what the doctor ordered for a defense that became the first to not have an interception in a season in 2025."
No. 16: WR Makai Lemon – USC
"The Jets overhauled their defense in free agency and at the top of the draft, so now it's time to fill out the offense. Makai Lemon earned the distinction of being named college football's top wide receiver as the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner. The Jets could use him opposite Garrett Wilson, and the only reasons Lemon falls this far are his size and his weird press conference at the combine."
