2026 NFL Draft Grades: New York Jets

Let's flash back to 2022, when the Jets had two picks in Round 1 and ended up making three selections -- Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson. Only one of those players is still with the team, and one of them was actually traded for one of the Jets' first-rounders this year, but we're running it back. New York added three playmakers on Day 1, starting with David Bailey.

I made the case that this should have been Arvell Reese because of his high upside. But Bailey brings tangible production to the table, having led the nation in pressure rate (20.4%) en route to 14.5 sacks -- which also tied for the most among all FBS players. He's a bendy 251-pounder with 4.5 speed that allows him to get on top of QBs quickly. Johnson is in Tennessee now, so the Jets needed a real presence opposite Will McDonald IV. They were 31st in sacks last season with 26.

New York went with offense at Nos. 16 and 30. The Jets used a second-round pick on Mason Taylor last year at tight end (44 catches in Year 1), but that didn't stop them from jumping on Kenyon Sadiq in the middle of Round 1. It wasn't the most obvious need, and I had zeroed this one in on receiver Makai Lemon. But Sadiq is going to be used all over the formation and is basically a big receiver when he's flexed out. He ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 43½ inches in the vertical jump at 241 pounds. He can box out cornerbacks and safeties and outrun linebackers, so it's no surprise that he's terrific after the catch.

Coming right back with Omar Cooper Jr. after trading back into the first round suddenly turns one of the worst pass-catching groups in the NFL (if not the worst) into a promising unit. Cooper caught 13 touchdowns last season.

The Jets only made one pick on Day 2, but I love what they did. D'Angelo Ponds isn't for every defense at 5-9 and 182 pounds, but the Jets didn't have a single interception last season. Not one. So adding a slot corner with seven picks and 27 pass breakups over his three-year college career is a good move. Recall that Ponds got a lot of attention at the combine when he leapt 43½ inches in the vertical. He's a tough kid who plays bigger than his size.

Where's the QB, though? Well, probably in 2027, when the class is expected to be very, very good, and when New York is again set up with multiple first-rounders. But the Jets did add Cade Klubnik late. He's competition for Brady Cook for the QB2 role. At one point, he looked like a first-rounder, but 2025 wasn't kind to his résumé, as he went from 36 passing touchdowns in 2024 to 16 last year.

It felt like Part 1 of a summer blockbuster, the highly anticipated draft sequel — generally and specifically to the NYJ — still a year away. But if things unfold as nicely in 2027 as well as Gang Green's haul seemed to go this year, then New York should actually be a legitimate playoff contender by 2028 ... or so. But OLB David Bailey, the second overall pick, TE Kenyon Sadiq, WR Omar Cooper and CB D'Angelo Ponds all project as immediate starters — Ponds and Sadiq both arriving courtesy of trades GM Darren Mougey made at last year's November deadline. Even fourth-round QB Cade Klubnik could get an extended audition at some point this season — think Davis Mills in Houston. A team that also needs to progress with a significant cultural shift, was also probably wise to bring in Cooper and Ponds fresh off their championship run at Indiana. Admittedly, the Jets have "won" offseasons before, but it's time to find out if potential starts translating to a much better product on the field.

Best Pick: Second-round corner D'Angelo Ponds was one of my favorite players in this class. He is small, but feisty. Watch how good he becomes wherever he plays.

Worst Pick: I didn't like the trade-up for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik in the fourth. What's the point? For a guy who will likely back up the quarterback they pick next year?

The Skinny: They killed it. Of course, it helped to have three first-round picks. EDGE David Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick, will be a star. I wasn't as high on Kenyon Sadiq as some, but I get taking him with pick 16, and receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with pick 30 is a quality selection. It was a heck of a draft.

Trading back into the first round to have three cracks at the top 32, the Jets are ready to ascend.

It is easy to gush about top pick David Bailey, whose burst and bend off the edge make him a strong candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. I don't believe Kenyon Sadiq is going to make a splashy statistical contribution as a rookie, but I love the threat of his speed down the seam and his explosiveness as a blocker.

I do love the addition of two champions from Indiana in wideout Omar Cooper Jr. and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds. Cooper might just become Geno Smith's favorite target as a rookie and Ponds might remind head coach Aaron Glenn of himself as an undersized but playmaking corner. I also like the fourth-round gamble on quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has a chance to make a case for himself as the long-term future quarterback without the pressure to perform immediately.

With three first-round picks next year, as well, the Jets are well-positioned to address the QB position again should Smith and Klubnik not help the Jets take flight in 2026.

The Jets had a lot of draft capital to work with and Darren Mougey did a good job moving up and down the board.

David Bailey gives them a consistently disruptive force for a defense that created such little chaos in 2024. Taking D'Angelo Ponds, a cornerback with ball skills, also meshed with turning their takeaway problem around.

Frank Reich needs to have the right plan for Kenyon Sadiq, but his athleticism and physicality are tantalizing. Omar Cooper thrived from the slot in 2025, but he averaged over 21 yards per catch in 2024 while playing most of his snaps on the outside.

Day three got a little messy as they paid a decent price to move up for Cade Klubnik. I projected him as a long-term backup and it feels like they didn't need to give up more assets to go up for him.

Darrell Jackson Jr. and Anez Cooper fit their identity of having gigantic people in the trenches. VJ Payne might have been their best value pick. I think he will be a matchup defender to cover tight ends as a third safety in the NFL.

The Jets don't have their quarterback of the future on this team, but they are setting up the right foundation for that player when he arrives (from the 2027 draft class).

Here's why: The Jets filled some needs, but the players they took are fair to question. David Bailey has a chance to be a high-impact pass rusher, but his floor is very, very low as a run defender. Kenyon Sadiq is a solid tight end prospect and it'll be interesting to see how the Jets work him in with last year's second-round pick Mason Taylor, who proved to be capable in his first year in the league. Trading back into the first to get Omar Cooper Jr. was an interesting move as well, but he hasthe profile of someone who can play across from Garrett Wilson. The downer: trading up for Cade Klubnik didn't make a lick of sense.

Most interesting pick: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson

Why? Why did they trade multiple future fourth-round picks to get Klubnik? He has some talent and was viewed highly before a disastrous final season as Clemson's starter. It's likely he never gets a chance to do anything here before they move on to another quarterback.

The Jets came into the draft armed with a ton of capital and came out of it with a handful of early impact starters. Edge rusher David Bailey is an explosive pass rusher with excellent first-step burst and incredible closing speed. Kenyon Sadiq is one of the best athletes we've ever seen at the tight end position; he's a versatile playmaker who can run after the catch and be featured in the red zone. And Omar Cooper is a dynamic, do-it-all receiver with great hands who plays with toughness and focus at the catch point. All three of the team's first-rounders are likely to contribute right away. I also absolutely loved their selection of cornerback D'Angelo Ponds in the second round. He's a ferocious, highly dynamic playmaker with inside-outside versatility. The decision to take Bailey over Arvell Reese will be one worth tracking closely over the next few years, but on the whole, the Jets added significant talent this weekend.

Analysis: I love what the Jets did throughout the draft. With three first-round choices, New York got instant-impact starters. Bailey is the best pure pass rusher in the class, having led college football with 14.5 sacks last year. Both Sadiq and Cooper will bolster the skill-position talent for quarterback Geno Smith, giving him options beyond Garrett Wilson. Ponds, while undersized, is a tone-setter on the back end as well.