More than halfway through the 2025 NFL season, the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are among the teams that have turned their attention toward the upcoming draft to help them make a swift turnaround. <\/p>\n
In his latest mock draft<\/a> covering the top 16 picks released on Friday, The Ringer’s Todd McShay projected the Jets to select Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Browns to land Alabama’s Ty Simpson. <\/p>\n Todd McShay Mock Draft Top 5 Picks<\/p>\n One notable thing that McShay mentioned in his section about the Jets selecting Mendoza is that the 2027 quarterback class looks much stronger, with players like Julian Sayin, LaNorris Sellers, Dante Moore, and Arch Manning potentially bolting for the pros after next season. <\/p>\n Mendoza seems to be the early favorite to be the top quarterback off the board in April. <\/p>\n B\/R’s NFL scouting department has Mendoza ranked<\/a> as the best quarterback in the class and No. 5 overall player. Simpson is actually the third quarterback behind Moore, but indications<\/a> right now have Moore returning to Oregon in 2026. <\/p>\n The Jets have put themselves in a great position to draft a quarterback at some point in the next two years. They have five first-round picks between 2026 and 2027 after trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. <\/p>\n It would seem like 2026 is when the Jets go after a quarterback because of how obvious and immediate their need is, but those three first-round picks in 2027 do give them some flexibility if they view someone other than Mendoza or Simpson as the best player available in the upcoming draft and don’t want to reach for a signal-caller. <\/p>\n The Browns have much less flexibility, though they do have an extra first-round pick in 2026 from the Jacksonville Jaguars from the Travis Hunter trade. Their cap situation is still going to be a mess next season because of Deshaun Watson’s $80.7 million<\/a> cap number, so they are unlikely to be able to add an expensive veteran option if one becomes available. <\/p>\n Fortunately for Cleveland, next season is the final year of Watson’s contract. One thing that seems clear is Dillon Gabriel isn’t a capable starter. His 33.0 percent success rate is the worst<\/a> in the NFL among 33 qualified quarterbacks. For comparison, Cam Ward ranks 32nd with a 38.7 percent success rate. No other quarterback is below 40 percent. <\/p>\n Simpson has been rising up the ranks in the midst of a strong season at Alabama. McShay noted he has Simpson ranked as the top quarterback in the ’26 class, but did note it wouldn’t be a surprise if he opts to stay with the Crimson Tide rather than declare. <\/p>\n