Jets fans could see their team make four of the draft’s first 44 selections. Wendell Cruz / Imagn Images
April 23, 2026Updated 6:33 am EDT
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The New York Jets enter the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 with nine picks over the three-day draft.
General manager Darren Mougey made a definitive statement when he dealt away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline: It was time to blow things up, start over and build through the draft.
That process started with those trades and continued into free agency, when Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn prioritized veteran players to help guide a young roster. Now, it coalesces with an NFL Draft in which the Jets carry the most draft value (in terms of the total value of their picks) in the league. That includes four selections in the first two rounds: Nos. 2, 16, 33 and 44.
This is not a Jets team that can afford to target players based on positional needs — an argument could be made they have needs at just about every position. They added Geno Smith at quarterback, but he’s not a long-term solution. They are likely choosing between two high-level pass rushers (Arvell Reese and David Bailey) at No. 2 and need to come out of this draft with at least one new starting-caliber wide receiver. Otherwise, it would be fair game to add new players at just about any position.
This draft class will go a long way toward determining whether Glenn and Mougey stick around beyond 2026.
Keep coming back here throughout the draft for grades and analysis of each Jets pick.
Round 1
No. 1
No. 16 (from Indianapolis)
Round 2
No. 33
No. 44
Round 3
No picks
Round 4
No. 103
No. 140 (compensatory pick)
Round 5
No. 179 (compensatory pick)
Round 6
No picks
Round 7
No. 228 (from Dallas via Buffalo and Las Vegas)
No. 242 (from Buffalo via Cleveland)
Apr 23, 2026
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