The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The New York Jets entered the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 with nine picks over the three-day draft, but that changed once they traded for No. 30, their third pick in the first round. They selected Texas Tech edge David Bailey with the No. 2 pick, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30. Friday night, the Jets traded No. 44 to the Detroit Lions for Nos. 50 and 128. They selected Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds at No. 50. They kicked off Saturday by selecting Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr. at No. 103. Not long afterward, they traded up to No. 110 to select Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik.
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. 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. 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. 2: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech
How he fits
The Jets make the first “surprise” of the draft. Bailey ranked fifth on our consensus big board and was the second-ranked edge rusher behind Arvell Reese. The Jets are in need of talent up and down the roster and getting possibly the best pure pass rusher in the class is a good place to start. If it were my pick, I would have stuck with the better player on the consensus board, but Reese comes with his own risk as a raw pass rusher. Bailey should have the more immediate impact. — Austin Mock
Dane Brugler’s analysis
From Brugler’s Top 300 rankings: Bailey is still developing his rush counters, but he is an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with the power, length and desire to be a disruptive rush piece. He projects as a versatile NFL starter.
Zack Rosenblatt’s analysis
New York Jets select David Bailey, edge from Texas Tech, with No. 2 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Grade: A-minus
No. 16 (from Indianapolis): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
How he fits
I love this pick. The Jets need a pass catcher and Sadiq is the best one left on the board. So what if he’s a tight end? He can also line up as a gigantic X-receiver or maybe even a Z. An outstanding blocker at the line of scrimmage and out in space, Sadiq is a 4.39 guy at 250 pounds.
A freakish athlete, arguably the best in this class, and the type of weapon who can always keep the math in the offense’s favor — Sadiq is built for the modern game. I like this pick better than the Bailey pick, if I’m honest. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Sadiq has mismatch-creating potential in the NFL, because of his ability to out-quick and out-tough defenders as both a pass catcher and blocker. He projects as a versatile, Vernon Davis-like weapon and has his best football ahead of him.
Zack Rosenblatt’s analysis
New York Jets take Kenyon Sadiq, tight end from Oregon, with No. 16 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Fantasy impact
Adonai Mitchell started to flash with the Jets, but they arguably still have a void behind Garrett Wilson in the passing game. Sadiq immediately steps in as the Jets’ top tight end and can be the No. 2 from Day 1. That’s the potential. The risk is Sadiq doesn’t see a full workload as a rookie, struggles for targets while competing with Mitchell and others, and Geno Smith doesn’t bounce back. That would have Sadiq as waiver fodder in redraft. Nevertheless, as of now — the Jets could add a wideout — he’s worth a late-round gamble in redraft. For dynasty, he’s still a first-round value, no matter how the rest of the Jets’ draft goes. — Jake Ciely
Grade: A
No. 30 (from San Francisco): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
How he fits
The Jets clearly had guys they wanted tonight and it looks like they got them all. New York gets its pass rusher in Bailey, a mutant in Sadiq and one of the most QB-friendly receivers in this draft in Cooper. Cooper was Fernando Mendoza’s favorite target at Indiana and should make life easier on whoever the Jets’ future quarterback is.
The Jets have so many picks over the next two years, I don’t mind the aggressiveness here at all. Cooper is a first-round player in this class and New York didn’t want to wait and see about this happening in the second round. Three foundational pieces added here. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Cooper will be an attractive draft target for the NFL teams that put high value on ball skills and run-after-catch ability. He projects as an inside-outside receiver who can be weaponized when featured.
Zack Rosenblatt’s analysis
Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. selected by New York Jets with pick No. 30 in 2026 NFL Draft
Fantasy impact
With the Jets taking Cooper, we have two impacted players. First, Cooper is clearly the No. 2 to Wilson, and Cooper has immediate WR4 value, potentially more if Smith can bounce back. The second is that Sadiq is out of the TE1 conversation in redraft/2026. In dynasty, he’s still a first-round pick, as the Jets could end up with a terrific QB next year. As for Cooper in dynasty, I would take him ahead of Sadiq. — Jake Ciely
Round 2
No. 50 (from Detroit): D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
How he fits
Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets just drafted another Aaron Glenn. Ponds is a small corner who, like his new head coach, plays like a man twice his own size — with a boulder on his shoulder the size of New Jersey. This is a tremendous fit and very good value. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Ponds is undersized (which would be a deal-breaker for some), but he compensates with top-tier speed, instincts and competitive toughness that is ingrained in his DNA. His play style makes it hard to bet against him becoming an inside-outside NFL starter.
Zack Rosenblatt’s analysis
Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds selected by New York Jets with 50th pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Round 3
No picks
Round 4
No. 103: Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State
How he fits
Jackson (6-5 1/2, 315) boasts nearly 35-inch arms and a massive 86-inch wingspan. He started 24 games the last two seasons for the Seminoles and has 12 career tackles for loss. — Scott Dochterman
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Jackson might never develop into a playmaker, but he has larger-than-life traits to do the dirty work at nose and occasionally pressure the quarterback. He plays big in a big-man’s game — and there is always room for that type of player in the NFL.
Zack Rosenblatt’s analysis
The Jets beefed up the defensive line this offseason when they traded for T’Vondre Sweat and signed David Onyemata to a group that already included Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips. They got even bigger on Saturday by adding Jackson. He’s a unique prospect because of his size, towering at more than 6 feet, 5 inches. He has traits worth developing and the Jets won’t feel rushed to play him before he’s ready.
No. 110 (from Cincinnati): Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
How he fits
Klubnik had plenty of attention entering last summer as a potential Heisman Trophy quarterback, but his his 2025 season didn’t meet expectations. Klubnik had quite a drop-off from 2024, when he threw for 36 touchdowns and rushed for seven scores. Last year, Klubnik combined for 20 touchdowns in the air and ground. But Klubnik (6-2, 207) was uber-productive in his career as a three-year starter at Clemson, where he threw for 10,123 yards and 73 touchdowns. — Scott Dochterman
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Klubnik is a smooth-twitch athlete with the arm talent to make big-time throws, but his inconsistent pocket presence and urgency reading the field need to be addressed. Projecting as a backup, he would benefit from a rollout, rhythm-based passing game to help open throwing lanes.
Zack Rosenblatt’s analysis
The Jets were always going to come out of this NFL Draft with a quarterback and they landed on one in the fourth round. It’s a mild surprise considering his perceived value (Dane Brugler ranked him as a fifth-/sixth-round prospect) and with LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier on the board. But clearly the Jets see something in Klubnik to make him their developmental backup behind Geno Smith, with Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe also in the QB room.
Round 5
No picks
Round 6
No. 199 (from Cincinnati)
Round 7
No. 228 (from Dallas via Buffalo and Las Vegas)
No. 242 (from Buffalo via Cleveland)
