This season was another abysmal season for the New York Jets as the team finished 3-14 and 0-6 in AFC East games. As the Jets look to rebuild the roster to finally return to Playoff contention, the team needs to nail the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts. Trading away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams gave this team a ton of draft capital setting the franchise up for a pivotal window.
The biggest issue for the New York Jets is the fact that they don't have a quarterback, and that issue was compounded when Dante Moore announced that he'd be returning to Oregon. As there's no clear path to a quarterback for the Jets, this draft is going to be all about building up the roster as a whole.
3-Round Mock Draft shifts for the New York Jets with Dante Moore's decision
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese - Linebacker - Ohio State
After Dante Moore decided to return to Oregon, it changed the Jets from a team looking for a quarterback to a team that should take the best player available. This season, Arvell Reese was one of the most impressive players in the Country as the true X-Factor for Ohio State's defense. Reese could be an elite edge rusher if move to the role full-time, which the Jets should draft him to pursue.
16. New York Jets: Makai Lemon - Wide Receiver - USC
Garrett Wilson missed 9 games, yet he finished the season leading the Jets with just 395 receiving yards. The quarterback play will need to improve, but this team isn't nearly good enough at wide receiver. Makai Lemon just put together an incredible season at USC, and he'd give the team another go-to weapon, taking pressure off Garrett Wilson.
33. New York Jets: AJ Haulcy - Safety - LSU
The Jets ended up with a great pickup in Alabama rookie Malachi Moore, who turned in a solid debut season. Now the team needs to continue adding to the secondary, and pairing Moore with a safety who can play deep would allow him to play a role more similar to how he played at Alabama. LSU star AJ Haulcy has shown the ability to be a ballhawk while he's willing to come down and lay massive hits.
44. New York Jets: Brandon Cisse - Cornerback - South Carolina
Trading away Sauce Gardner may help the Jets in the long run as he brought the team the draft picks they need to rebuild this roster, but in the short-term they have a hole at cornerback. Brandon Cisse just moved to South Carolina, where he proved that all the athletic traits that allowed him to succeed in the ACC worked in the SEC, where he was dominant.