The 2026 NFL season will mark the third pro campaign for the Jets 2024 draft class which includes left tackle Olu Fashanu.  The group has been a mixed bag thus far with some quality performances, but also significant injury issues and small sample sizes.  This is indeed the year for several players to prove their worth.

Here’s a look at the full class with grades thrown in based on what we’ve seen up to this point.

LT Olu Fashanu (Round 1, Pick 11): 

Fashanu hasn’t been the elite left tackle from day one that many hoped the Jets were getting when they  took him with the 11th pick out of Penn State.  He didn’t start right away and had some hiccups as a rookie but has shown enough for the Jets to feel that his floor is long-term above average starter with enough time to elevate his game to becoming a top ten tackle.  If you can get that in the first round, you take it every time.

Grade: B

WR Malachi Corley (Round 3, Pick 65): 

The Jets must have known fairly early on that the Corley pick wasn’t a good one.  He spent just one season in Green and White and had two memorable incidents.  One included the receiver dropping what would have been his first career touchdown on the 1-inch line to celebrate a score that never happened.  Then when approached by star wide receiver DaVante Adams about selling his number (17), Corley said with a straight face that it would cost Adams a million dollars.  Corley now sits deep down on the Browns wide receiver depth chart.

Grade: F

RB Braelon Allen (Round 4, Pick 134):

Taken to be a bruising running back out of the backfield, Allen has yet to realize his full potential as he’s dealt with very limited reps as a rookie and then a season-ending injury in year two.  Allen has shown enough in his limited opportunities to give fans reason to believe he can be a very good back.

Grade: Incomplete

QB Jordan Travis (Round 5, Pick 171):

A huge roll of the dice for the Jets that came up snake eyes.  Travis was coming off of a major ankle injury so the Jets used a day 3 pick on a developmental quarterback with winning pedigree and elite leadership traits.  However, he would never take a snap as a Jet and we’ll probably never know who was at fault.

Travis sat out year one which was expected, but then abruptly retired after last year’s draft.  This was apparently the result of a significant setback during his rehab.

Did the Jets botch the rehab program, or did Travis engage in activities that weren’t recommended by the team?  Until we find that out, this is an almost impossible pick to grade.

Grade: Incomplete

RB Isaiah Davis (Round 5, 173):

Like Allen, Davis has seen limited reps, but he has managed to stay healthy and impress as a back who can run between the tackles, catch the ball out of the backfield and pick up the blitz.  Davis is a player who you feel would likely put up impressive numbers if given the opportunity.

In 33 career games, Davis has run the ball 73 times for 410 yards (5.8 ypc) and a touchdown.  How the Jets handle their running back room this season will be interesting as they’ve made it clear they plan on having a run-heavy system.

Grade: C+

CB Qwan’tez Stiggers (Round 5, 176)

Stiggers was a great story on draft day and gained national attention for being a drafted player who didn’t play any college football.  Everyone knew that day that he was going to be a multi-year project.  Well, it’s now been multiple years and Stiggers may have his first real shot to see some reps in 2026.

The Jets cornerback room isn’t terrible, but it’s far from having every spot locked down.

Stiggers has had some solid moments early on in his career, but it’s time to take the training wheels off and see what he kid can do.  With Brandon Stephens and Azareye’h Thomas penciled in as the starters, it’s not as if Stiggers is competing with the duo of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie for playing time.

Grade: Incomplete 

S Jalen Key (7, 257): Mr. Irrelevant became just that for the Jets as Key never played a snap as a pro, but as the final pick in the draft, he wasn’t likely graded much higher than most undrafted free agents.

Grade: F

The Jets official 2026 schedule was released yesterday and what jumps out most is the stretch of games Gang Green will play over the first quarter of the season.  A brutal run that could have them, once again, out of playoff contention before Halloween.

Opening the season on the road in Tennesee will be no picnic as Robert Saleh will be looking for revenge with a loaded front seven.  Having added former Jets Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers to Jeffery Simmons up front is going to be tough for any offense.  Let alone a group that will be taking its first ever reps in live action.

Add to that the fact that the Titans brought in more weapons for Cam Ward by signing Wan’Dale Robinson away from the Giants before drafting Carnell Tate with the third overall pick in the draft.  From there, things only get worse.

A brutal stretch from weeks 2-4 will bring three teams who, barring injury, will be heavy favorites over the Jets in the Packers, Lions and Bears.  Three far superior teams before taking on the Cleveland Browns in week five.  Now, before you go writing off the Browns, remember they have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and a new head coach in Todd Monken who seems to get the best out of every quarterback who plays in his offense.

There are some who believe Deshaun Watson will be Cleveland’s week one starter.  If that’s the case, and Monken can get him to be even 75% of what he was at his peak, that game will be far tougher than most seem to believe.

From there it’s a head-to-head tilt with the New England Patriots who, again, should be heavy favorites in that one before the schedule offers a reprieve.  A winnable game against the Miami Dolphins followed by a  meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders.   Back,-to-back winnable games for sure, but two games that may be taking place with the Jets having two wins or less.

Grounded for much of the past decade, has Jets GM Darren Mougey finally put together an offense that can rise from total embarrassment, to mere respectability with an occasional “light up the scoreboard” type of performance?  The idea may not be all that far fetched in looking at the personnel the Jets have added.

Plenty of skeptics laughed at the addition of quarterback Geno Smith, but the fact of the matter is that Smith is a much improved player since the last time he wore Green and White, and has a chance to produce at a level the Jets haven’t seen since the days of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

If the signing of free agent guard Dylan Parham can shore up the offensive line, Smith should have plenty of time to operate with Olu Fashanu, Parham, Josh Myers, Joe Tippman and Armand Membou up front.  Darren Mougey using a pair of draft picks on Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper and tight end Kenyon Sadiq gives offensive coordinator Frank Reich some dynamic pieces to work with.

Adding the young rookies to an offense that already has Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall (for now), and Mason Taylor in place could have the Jets offense being a threat to actually put up a lot of points.

The x-factor in all of this is wide receiver AD Mitchell.  Obtained from the Colts as part of last season’s Sauce Gardner trade, Mitchell was once viewed as a first round draft pick.  While he fell out of round 1, he still went in the second round (52nd overall) and did flash at times last year for Gang Green.

If Mitchell can get even close to his ceiling in this offense, the Jets could potentially have three dynamic receivers with a pair of tight ends, especially in Sadiq, who can create a fair number of mismatches for opposing defenses.

On the latest episode of JetNation radio, we talk about the NFL draft has wrapping up and the names of undrafted free agents expected to sign with the Jets.  We discuss that and some of the more bizarre takes on GM Darren Mougey from Jets fans who have already written off many of his draft picks.

Click the video above for our thoughts on every one of the newest members of the New York Jets.

The New York Jets kicked off their first voluntary player workouts of the offseason and running back Breece Hall decided to take a pass.  No longer under contract with the Jets, Hall has been hit with the franchise tag which he is yet to sign.  The Jets have said they plan to revisit talks on an extension after the draft.  Meanwhile, Hall has made it clear in the past through his social media accounts that he’d like to move on.

Should the Jets look to shop Breece Hall when the draft rolls around in a few days?  They may want to consider it in an effort to add picks while considering a back for themselves to replace Hall.  The idea of Jeremiyah Love with the second pick may be a bit rich for some, but there would be other options later on such as Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, Mike Washington out of Arkansas or Indiana’s Kaelon Black, who the Jets had in for a 30 visit.

As far as players who could fit in nicely with the outside of round one, here are a few names they may have to take earlier than the masses are projecting as we see them as being worthy of a higher selection than the pundits.

Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF: You have to look long and hard to find somebody who views Malachi Lawrence as a first-round pick.  Projections that have Lawrence going in the top 32 are few and far between.  We think that’s where he’ll go, but if he doesn’t, the Jets should pounce with pick 32.

WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State: Ted Hurst’s biggest flaw was playing at Georgia State instead of a a bigger program.  Had he done that, he’d be garnering first-round consideration.  When all is said and done, the first round is highly unlikely, but top fifty is far more likely than many seem to believe.

OG Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech: According to nfl draft database, Rutledge is projected to go just before pick number 60 but don’t be surprised if he goes in the top fifty.  An old-school mauler who pops on film, Rutledge could go earlier than the experts are projecting.

C Logan Jones, Iowa: One of the top centers in the class, Jones would be a great addition to compete with Josh Myers for the team’s starting role and he is currently projected to be selected outside of the top 100.   When the dust settles in Pittsburgh, don’t be surprised if he’s off the board before triple digits.  Whether it’s Breece Hall, Jeremiyah Love or Emmett Johnson, any back running behind the Jets O-line with the addition of Jones would be tough to contend with.

The NFL draft is now just eight days away so it’s time to look at the top wide receivers in this year’s class as Gang Green hopes to add some help for Garrett Wilson.

Given his lengthy injury history, Jordyn Tyson is worthy of being called the top receiver in this class, but one the Jets should want no part of.  It may not matter when all is said and done as many project him to go before the Jets are on the clock, but we’ll go with the top six in all actuality with Tyson being out of the question.

Carnell Tate, Ohio State:  

Tate is able to get open at all levels, does a great job of tracking the ball and winning in a crowd.  Projected by many to go in the top five, Tate will make any team in the league better as soon as he walks in the building. Size and body control lead to eye-popping catches in tight spots.

Makai Lemon, USC: Mocked by the masses to the Jets at sixteen for well over a month now, Lemon would give Gang Green a tough, shifty receiver who rarely gets taken down by the first defender he encounters.  Has some of the best hands in this class with just four drops over the course of his college career; good enough for a miniscule drop rate of 2.8% per PFF.

Chris Brazzell, Tennessee:

One of the most polarizing receivers in the class, many fans hold the failures of previous Tennessee receivers against Brazzell.  Assuming he’s a “one trick pony” who can only run “go” routes, Brazzell is far from that.  His route tree is far more refined than that and it shows up on film.  The biggest concern with Brazzell is his effort as a blocker but when he gets after it, he shows he’s more than capable.  Is this a coaching issue or effort issue?  That will be the biggest question he’ll have to answer.

Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana:

One of the best route runners in the country, Cooper Jr. has outstanding hands and can elevate to play much bigger than his size (6′ 199) would suggest.  Another popular name linked to the Jets of late, Cooper’s ability to play inside and out with Garrett Wilson and AD Mithcell could go over well in the Jets war room.

Ted Hurst, Georgia State:

If Hurst had gone to a bigger school, we’re convinced he’d be garnering more attention as a top receiver in the class.  He’s a 6′ 4” receiver who runs like a slot guy when necessary.  Very quick feet and crisp routes lead to plenty of separation for Hurst whose impressive wingspan allows him to make catches that most guys can’t make.  When all is said and done, he’ll be a better player than a lot of guys currently ranked ahead of him.

Any of the receivers listed above would be a welcome addition to a room that already has Garrett Wilson and AD Mitchell, but if the Jets opt to wait until after pick 44 to take a receiver, keep an eye on Bronx native Skyler Bell out of UConn, Lemon’s running mate Ja’Kobi Lane, or Georgia’s Zahariah Branch.

With the NFL draft now just under two weeks away, Emory Hunt of CBS Sports and Football Game Plan joined JetNation Radio to discuss some of the top prospects in the class, along with a few names who will almost certainly be new to your watch list.

Every year we grab the Football Game Plan draft guide produced by Hunt and this year did not disappoint.  Scouting reports on 1,200 players from every level of college football that always has a handful of player rankings that will get your attention.  As usual, we asked Emory about some of his more surprising rankings and he had no problem explaining his logic.

Click the audio link above to listen in or check out the entire video episode via youtube at the top of the page.

Anyone who follows the NFL draft, be it as a Jets fan or as a supporter of any other club, knows that there’s no such thing as a “sure thing” come draft time.

Your favorite player in the class, whose game you can’t manage to find a single hole in, could easily go down as a bust within a year or two and an afterthought beyond that.  With the draft already being the crap shoot it is, can Gang Green afford to ignore some of the red flags that are in place for some of the draft’s top talent?

Perhaps the most noteworthy flag is that of Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain.  One of the best defensive players in the country last season, Bain looked like a player whose arm length would be questionable come combine time.  His 9.5 sacks and fifteen tackles for loss were put on the backburner when he measured in at 30 7/8”.  Arms shorter than any high level pass rusher over the past two decades.  In fact, it has generated so much concern that former Chargers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko went on record in saying that drafting Bain will “get a GM fired“.  Can the Jets current GM look past the trend and use the second overall pick on him?

One of the more popular projections for the Jets with the sixteenth pick is Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.  A incredibly talented receiver who would be a great addition to the Jets offense, but one who also has a scary injury history.  During his time in college, Tyson shredded his knee, tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL before fracturing his clavicle and then missing  a huge chunk of time with a pulled hamstring.

In all he would miss 1/3 of his college contests, but is still viewed as a top 20 pick and in the eyes of some, the best receiver in this class.  The mock draft masses may be calling for the Jets to roll the dice on Tyson, but can a team with sixteen year playoff drought gamble such a high pick on a player that comes with such high risk?

Going back to edge rushers where the Jets undoubtedly need a boost, there’s a player who may be the best pure pass rusher in the class in Texas Tech’s David Bailey.  An explosive athlete with an elite spin move who terrorizes opposing quarterbacks, but who can also be a liability against the run.  This isn’t to say there aren’t flashes of being able to develop into a run stopper, but as of right now, the though of pairing Bailey and Will McDonald in any kind of running situation would be a nightmare.  Now if they were deployed on 3rd & 10 it would be a different story.

Finally, we come to Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.  An interior defender who is capable of taking over games at times, the 326 pound Banks has suffered multiple foot fractures.  So while he may be a nice replacement for the departed Quinnen Williams in a perfect world, this is the real world, and that’s a world where Banks’ injuries should be too much for the Jets to consider him.

Darren Mougey has tons of premium picks to turn his team around with over the next two seasons.  If he starts using them on players who carry a great deal of injury risk or with noticeable holes in their game, he’ll have a hard time hanging around for very long.

The NFL draft is just over three weeks away and the Jets have reportedly met with over thirty players by way of 30 visits, pro days, interviews and on the All-Star game circuit.  Going down a list provided by NFL trade rumors, For thoughts/comments on all 35 players, check the video above, but we’ll go over some of the most interesting names right here.

LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State:

If Reese isn’t the Jets pick at number two overall, it would be shocking.  A 20-year-old linebacker with one of the highest ceilings in this class is expected to excel as an off ball linebacker before transitioning to edge.  He’s one of just two players who the Jets have reportedly met with for a 30 visit, at his pro day and for an interview at the combine.

QB Behren Morton, Texas Tech:

We said there are only two players listed as having met with the Jets through every step of the pre-draft process and Morton is one of them.  A 6′ 2” signal caller who kept his interception rate below 2.5% over his final three collegiate seasons, he relies more on touch, accuracy and ball placement than having a cannon of an arm.

QB Ty Simpson, Alabama: 

The Jets have met with Simpson at his pro day and hosted him for a dinner with all of the Jets brass in attendance.  One of the most polarizing players in the class, fans are torn between where the Jets should take Simpson (round 1 or 2), or if they should take him at all.

Edge Zion Young, Missouri:

One of the better all-around edge prospects in this class, Young plays at a high level against both the run and the pass.  For a team looking to play a fair bit of 3-4, the Jets can use a player of Young’s stature.  Insiders appear somewhat torn on Young where many see him as a round 1 pick, while others believe he’ll fall to round two.

S Caleb Downs, Ohio State:

Caleb Downs won’t be the Jets pick at 2, but if they could land a player who is arguably the best defensive player in the class at sixteen, they’d be crazy not to.

S Jalon Kilgor, South Carolina: 

The type of chess piece that defensive coaches love to have in their scheme, Kilgore is a “hair on fire” defender who attacks coming downhill and shows he can be a factor in coverage playing either the slot or safety.  He won’t back down when placed in the box and could be the perfect player to learn from veteran Minkah Fitzpatrick.

RB Chris Mosley, North Carolina Central:

A small school back who flashes three down ability on film.  Mosley accelerates and hits the hole up the middle and does a nice job of bouncing off of tacklers as he shows good contact balance.  His pass pro is further along than a lot of prospects in the class and you’ll also see him making big plays after the catch as a target out of the backfield.

While the Jets may be sitting pretty with four picks in the top 44 of the upcoming NFL draft, it’s hard not to notice the enormous gap between their fourth and fifth picks at 44th and 103rd respectively.

If you’re Jets GM Darren Mougey, you’d undoubtedly like to add another pick at some point to shorten that gap between 44 and 103 by picking up a selection in a spot where plenty of value players should still be on the board.  If he’s hoping to do so, he has a couple of players who may demand a pick in that range.

Edge Will McDonald:

With the Jets expected to move to a 3-4 base defense, McDonald may be the ideal player to shop for a premium pick.  His size should mean a reduced role as it is, so why not look to move him and draft a player who can be a bigger part of what you’re doing?  As a player who has proven he can be a 10+ sack player, it shouldn’t take much work to convince a contender that his production would skyrocket if he could play with a lead every now and then.

RB Breece Hall: 

It’s been obvious for quite some time that Hall would love to move on to greener pastures and that wish almost became a reality last season.  Darren Mougey tried to get himself a third-round pick for Hall but the best offer he got was for a fourth.  When the NFL draft rolls around, perhaps the phone starts to ring once again if a club in need of a back doesn’t land a player they’re hoping to through the first few rounds.  If the Jets still haven’t inked Hall to a long-term deal at that point, they would most certainly be willing to listen to offers.

Jamien Sherwood:

Another player who may not be an ideal fit in the 3-4 as an inside linebacker checking in at just over 220 pounds.  Perhaps the Jets move him to the weak side where he may be a better fit, but a trade may also be an option.  Sherwood wouldn’t command the type of capital McDonald and Hall would, but if the Falcons or Titans offer a day three pick, the Jets would be foolish not to consider it.