Through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, the New York Jets don’t appear to be playing for the No. 1 overall pick. Nonetheless, they’re in shape to have more draft capital than any other team in the NFL.
For starters, the Jets own their first-round pick for the 2027 NFL Draft. While they have shown serious improvement at 1-1, oddsmakers don’t expect them to be a playoff team this season. If the projections end up being accurate, they’ll probably have a top-15 pick of their own.
It’s possible their own first-round pick isn’t even their best draft asset. Back in November 2025, the Jets traded Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for one of their two 2027 first-round draft picks. They acquired an extra 2027 first-rounder from the Green Bay Packers when they shipped out Micah Parsons. As agreed to in the Quinnen Williams trade, the Jets will receive the higher pick.
Though it’s still early in the season, the Packers are projected to have the No. 8 overall pick in the 2027 draft. The Jets would be more than happy to add a top-10 pick to their arsenal.
Last but certainly not least, the Jets also own the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round pick. They landed that asset in last year’s blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade.
The Colts are currently 0-2, which is bad enough to get them the No. 3 pick in the draft. We have no doubt Jets fans will be rooting for their downfall all season long.
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What does this mean for the Jets?
If the Jets end up owning a pair of top-10 picks as well as their own first-rounder, they’ll have the necessary firepower to move up or down the draft board.
In the event the Jets aren’t in position to draft a quarterback like Arch Manning, Dante Moore or Trinidad Chambliss, they can always trade up. They could also use of their first-rounders on a quarterback and use the the other two picks on premier prospects such as Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore and Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith.
On paper, the Jets are in great position to add more young talent to a roster that features Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Armand Membou, Kenyon Sadiq and David Bailey.
The pressure is firmly on Jets general manager Darren Mougey to make the right picks.
