The 2026 NFL Draft concluded over this past weekend, bringing hope and new beginnings to franchises across the league. The New York Jets made eight picks over the three-day process. Fans will hope these new Jets will help turn the franchise back in a winning direction.
New York took a balanced approach with the draft. The Jets took four offensive players and four defensive players. This makes sense for a team that had no identity on either side of the ball in 2025. The Jets will need these eight rookies to perform if there is going to be improvement on the 3-14 record from last season.
The Jets surprised many with their first offensive pick in 2026. Many thought that New York would get an offensive weapon with the 16th pick in the draft, but not the one they ended up taking. Former Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq became the first rookie addition to Frank Reich’s new offense.
Sadiq is an athletic freak. The tight end is a little undersized for his position at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, but he makes up for the lack of size with his speed. The former Duck set an NFL Combine record for tight ends with a 4.39 second 40 yard dash. He also led the country for tight end receiving touchdowns with 8. His athletic gifts will allow the Jets to use him in a multitude of ways.
The new Jet will be able to line up in a traditional tight end position, the slot, or outside of the formation. His willingness to block made him a prospect that was hard to pass on. While there were calls for the Jets to take wide receiver Makai Lemon, Sadiq’s unique abilities were too much to pass on for the Jets.
The Jets would address the need for a wide receiver to put next to Garrett Wilson by trading back into the first round for Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. Cooper Jr. was the leading receiver for the national championship-winning Hoosiers.
The 6-foot-0 receiver thrived in RAC situations as well as showed the ability to win in one-on-one situations. He will have flexibility when it comes to his positioning in formations. The 22-year-old lined up primarily in the slot but can work on the outside as well.
Ultimately, both Sadiq and Cooper Jr. should help elevate New York’s passing offense, which ranked dead-last in 2025.
The Jets then waited until the fourth round to take another offensive player, trading up for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. While Klubnik had a late-round prospect grade come the draft, scouts projected him as a first-rounder at the beginning of 2025.
Klubnik fits the mold of Frank Reich QBs. If the former Tiger adapts to the NFL better after a full college career, he could be the answer at QB the Jets need. Klubnik will likely get a chance to play in 2026, even though he will not be the starter to begin the season. If Geno Smith and Bailey Zappe are not getting the job done, Klubnik will get his opportunity to stop the Jets going QB in 2027.
The Jets finished their offensive haul by taking Anez Cooper, a guard from Miami. The Jets traded up 11 spots to get Cooper in the sixth round. Cooper will serve as depth on an interior offensive line that lost Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson over the offseason.
While not super athletic, Cooper was a part of one of the best offensive lines in the nation with Miami. He played next to Francis Mauigoa, who was the 10th pick in the draft this year. Cooper also did not allow any sacks last year over 16 games played.
The former Hurricane won’t be slated as a starter, but he could be an integral depth piece for the Jets.
The Jets addressed needs on the offense throughout this draft. They obtained two weapons in the first round with Sadiq and Cooper Jr. who could make immediate impacts at the next level. They then finished up their offensive haul with two depth pieces that could end up paying off if they make the most of their opportunities.
The Jets started their 2026 draft by taking David Bailey, a defensive end from Texas Tech, with the second overall pick.
Whether the Jets took Bailey or Arvell Reese, they were going to be getting a project on the edge. Bailey ranked as the best pass rusher in this draft. He ranked third in the nation in sacks and first in pressures in 2025. While his play in the run game was subpar, his ability to get to the quarterback is undeniable. The Jets ranked 31st in sacks in 2025 and hope that the former Red Raider can bolster those numbers.
The Jets have a fan base that is tired of waiting for success and a coaching staff that can’t wait. The David Bailey pick shows that, while Arvell Reese was an intriguing prospect, they need someone who can make an impact in the pass rush now.
The Jets continued to address a lackluster defense by taking cornerback D’Angelo Ponds in the second round. Ponds was another member of the National Champion Indiana Hoosiers in 2025. While Ponds is undersized, his physicality allowed him to dominate against top receivers in the nation.
Ponds fits into what Aaron Glenn is looking to do with his secondary. Physical corners who can play man are exactly what Glenn wants and exactly what Ponds is. He will get a chance to play immediately in a secondary that finished 25th in passing defense in 2025.
Here’s 5-foot-8, 180-pound D’Angelo Ponds physically dominating 6-foot-4, 215-pound Denzel Boston.