The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away.
With substantial draft capital, including the No. 2 and No. 16 overall picks, as well as the first pick in the second round (No. 33), the Jets are continuing to evaluate their options -- and questions remain at the quarterback position.
The Green & White recently acquired veteran Geno Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 11, and the team traded Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs a week later. GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn -- who have spoken openly about exploring all available options -- could look to bring in another veteran in addition to drafting a young developmental player.
On Now Boarding, the Jets NFL Draft Preview Show, NBC Sports' Connor Rogers shared his perspective on the strategy the team could employ as the offseason progresses.
"You can be flexible," Rogers said. "The Jets do not need to leave the first two days of the draft with a quarterback for the sake of taking a quarterback."
A player that has garnered some support respect and attention, however, is Alabama's Ty Simpson. While Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is expected to be selected No. 1 overall by the Raiders, Simpson has emerged among analysts as the consensus No. 2 overall quarterback in this year's draft.
"He's my No. 2 overall quarterback," Rogers said, adding, "Maybe we [the Jets] like Simpson and we'll take him at 33. But we need two impact players around the quarterback position at 2 and 16, or however we want to move up and down the board."
In 2025, Simpson served as Alabama's full-time starter for the first time in his collegiate career. He led the team to a 9-1 start, and though his production and efficiency regressed during the second half of the season, he finished with 3,567 passing yards, 28 TDs and a 64.5 completion percentage, along with 5 INTs.
"What he was at the beginning of this season was really impressive," PFF's Trevor Sikkema said on "Now Boarding." "He's somebody who knows how to hang in a pocket, he can play under center. He can go through all sorts of reads and progressions and eventually even get backside concepts of certain routes on plays. … I think that between the ears, this guy's got starting caliber NFL potential."
Sikkema, who said he had Simpson as the QB1 of this class during the first half of the college football season, spoke highly of how the Martin, TN native performed at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He described Simpson's throwing as "clean and accurate," and though he acknowledged that it is only "a small piece of the pie" when it comes to the scouting report, he was impressed by "how he was able to go out there and throw the football in Indianapolis."
On Wednesday at Alabama's Pro Day, Simpson took advantage of another opportunity to showcase his skill set ahead of April's draft.
"I'm tough, I'm resilient, I love football and I want to make other people better," Simpson shared with media after the session. "When I come into a program, I'm a program changer. I just don't make myself better -- I make other people better. So, if you draft me and you want me to be your franchise quarterback, I'm not just coming in to look after myself. I'm looking after the whole team and making sure that I leave it better than where I [found it]."
If the Green & White decide to draft a quarterback in April, Simpson could be one of the players on the team's radar.
"I really love the Jets," Simpson told the media at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Really blessed to have a meeting with them and if I have an opportunity to play in New York -- they're going to get the best Ty Simpson they can get."
