Jets’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup with pre-draft cycle ending

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Jets’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup with pre-draft cycle ending

Christopher Hennessy, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Thu, Apr 9, 2026 ·

5 min read

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The New York Jets have two first-round picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. They earned the number two overall pick with a dreadful season, and picked up the 16th pick in the Sauce Gardner trade with the Indianapolis Colts . With the draft around the corner, prominent mockers are putting Ohio State defensive end Arvell Reese with the Jets. But who is landing at 16? And does everyone have Reese at 2?

Arvell Reese, Ohio State DE

Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints , Rhett Lewis, NFL.com , Daire Carragher, PFF , Nate Davis, USA Today , Diante Lee, The Ringer

Five of the six mock drafts reviewed have the Jets taking Reese second overall. Positional versatility is a key reason the Jets are keying in on the Ohio State defensive end. Although he only had 6.5 sacks in his college career, experts believe he can make a meteoric leap at the next level.

This has become a near-consensus pick for the Jets at second overall. It is not as much of a lock as Fernando Mendoza is at number one, but anyone else here at number two would be a genuine surprise. There are a lot of edge rushers available in the draft, though, so anything is possible at second overall.

David Bailey, Texas Tech, DE

Peter Schraeger, ESPN

Only ESPN's Peter Schraeger has the Jets taking David Bailey out of Texas Tech second overall. After three years at Stanford, Bailey transferred to Lubbock and was one of the best pass rushers in college football. He led the country with 14.5 sacks and led the Big 12 with 19.5 tackles for loss. If the Jets are going for pass-rushing upside, Bailey may be the pick.

Bailey is not projected to fall far past the Jets in the other mock drafts. His incredible season with the Red Raiders has made him one of the premier edge rushers in the draft. But if he cannot get to the quarterback, his impact will be limited. Reese has the versatility to impact the run game as well, which Bailey may not bring to the NFL.

Jermod McCoy, Tennessee CB

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints *

Moving on to the 16th overall pick, the Jets have plenty of options in the middle of the round. One of those choices is trading down, which only Tim Crean of ClutchPoints has them doing. Crean sees Darren Mougey trading down from 16 to 26 with the Philadelphia Eagles . With the 26th pick, Crean has the Jets taking Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.

The Jets got this pick by trading cornerback Sauce Gardner , so it makes sense to take a corner once again. McCoy is still rehabbing a knee injury that wiped out his entire 2025 season. But he was on track to be one of the top corners in the draft before that. If the Jets can get more picks for the 2027 draft and get a talented player at corner, it would be a great piece of business for Mougey.

Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana WR

Peter Schraeger, ESPN ,

Everyone else in this sample has the Jets taking a wide receiver 16th overall. With only Garrett Wilson as an elite player on the outside, getting a new wide receiver is a necessity eventually. With quarterbacks seemingly not available at this point in the draft, Mougey goes wide receiver in many mock drafts.

That includes Schraeger, who has the Jets taking Omar Cooper Jr out of Indiana at 16. If his name sounds familiar, it's because of Gus Johnson's ridiculous call of Cooper's game-winning catch against Penn State last season. For the National Champions, Cooper racked up 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. That is the kind of playmaking the Jets need and could get here at 16th.

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR

Rhett Lewis, NFL.com , Daire Carragher, PFF , Nate Davis, USA Today

A more popular selection at 16th overall is Jordyn Tyson out of Arizona State. There is an injury concern here as well, as Tyson played only nine games for the Sun Devils due to a lingering hamstring issue. But when he does play, he has been sensational. He racked up 1,000 yards in 12 games as a junior and was on pace to smash that mark in his senior year.

Tyson could be a star in the NFL, but the injuries are a concern. The Jets are not trying to compete in 2026, so they can take as much time as they need to make sure Tyson is healthy. That is, of course, if New York is being honest with itself about the immediate future. Tyson's health in 2027 would be far more important than in 2026 if they drafted him.

KC Concepcion, Texas A&M WR

Diante Lee, The Ringer

The final wide receiver these mock drafts have the Jets taking is KC Concepcion out of Texas A&M. Concepcion led the SEC with nine receiving touchdowns in his lone season with the Aggies, racking up over 900 yards in the process. Concepcion is a smaller receiver than the others linked to New York, listed at just 5'11". Will the size impact the Jets' desire to take him this early in the draft?

The Jets have a long rebuild ahead of them, and these two picks are the first steps in that process. A trade down from 16 should be in the cards, as the 2027 NFL Draft is seen as deeper than the 2026 class. The Jets won't be an easy watch in 2026, but they are the team to watch in April.

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