As the Jets look ahead to April's NFL Draft and potentially adding a bounty of young talent with, at present, eight total picks that includes four selections (including Nos. 2 and 16 in the first round) in the top 44, there's excitement and anticipation at 1 Jets Drive. One of the youngest rosters in the league is poised to get even younger.
What can't be overlooked is how important the seven players taken in the first draft overseen by GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn were to the team in the 2025 season. Though several had to deal with injuries (TE Mason Taylor, CB Azareye'h Thomas, LB Kiko Mauigoa and DL Tyler Baron) young men like S Malachi Moore and RT Armand Membou played -- and played well -- in all 17 games.
Moore Grabbing an Opportunity and Holding On
When opportunity knocked during his rookie season with the Jets, S Malachi Moore opened the door to what has the making of a long and productive career in the NFL.
Moore (5-11, 197) was the second of the Jets' two fourth-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft after GM Darren Mougey completed a trade, swapping a fifth- and a sixth-round pick with the Eagles to move up 15 spots for the four-year starter and two-time captain at Alabama.
He got his first start of the season at Tampa Bay in Week 3 and then saw time at slot corner, his original position with the Crimson Tide before former coach Nick Saban suggested he move to safety. He got a chance to show his promise at safety when Andre Cisco (torn pectoral), who signed with the Green & White, sustained a season-ending injury in Week 8 at Cincinnati -- the team's first win of the Aaron Glenn era. Moore teamed with Tony Adams until Adams sustained a groin injury in Week 15 that ended his season. Moore stepped in at safety and never left the rest of the season.
"I feel like that's the best way to learn is to get thrown into the fire, because nothing is like a real game," Moore told team reporter Caroline Hendershot. "And so when you finally get out there, I feel like the more reps I got, the more comfortable I became out there and just being comfortable with myself around the teammates on the field we were playing. I just think with more reps comes more experience and more confidence."
Moore led all rookie defensive backs with 95 total tackles, 3 TFL, a forced fumble and 3 PDs. In the process he became the first Jets rookie DB with 90-plus tackles in a season in the last 20 years. Moore earned praise and guidance from a guy who wasn't a bad DB himself -- Glenn.
"AG, I love him," Moore said. "I love playing for him, he's tough on all of us, but that's because he expects a lot out of us. You don't want anything else from a player. AG, he looks at us and he sees what we could be down in the future and not where we are right now. So that's how he coaches us. And you have nothing but respect and I've had fun playing for Coach AG. He brings energy to the program, to this organization. He wants us to play an old school style of football, fast, physical and violent, and that's what we try to do this year. And next year we'll try to do the same thing."
Mauigoa Always in the Moment
Though he won't be suiting up for Miami in the National Championship game on Jan. 19, LB Francisco (Kiko) Mauigoa played a critical role for the Hurricanes during his two seasons there. After being taken in Round 5 last year, Mauigoa played well in 12 games before sustaining a season-ending neck injury against the Miami Dolphins in Week 14.
"The biggest takeaway from this year is just being able to enjoy every single moment, not taking any moment for granted," Mauigoa (6-2, 233) said. "Because although I didn't finish the way I wanted to finish, they go out like that, just like that. So I'm taking every single moment in and soaking all the information in so that I'll be ready for Year 2. So I feel like that's the biggest thing is being able to learn from the vets, the guys that have been here and just be able to take it step by step and prepare for what's ahead."
Over those 12 games, he was credited with 45 total tackles while taking 43% of the snaps on defense and contributing on special teams taking 60% of the snaps. He's bullish on his fellow draftees from last year and sees good things ahead.
"It's why they bought us here, right?" he said. "You got fresh bodies from college and guys that are here to make an impact. And I feel like every single one of us came in with the mindset that we're going to be able to contribute to this team and be able to make an impact."
