The tank is charging full steam ahead in Florham Park.

Losers of four straight, the New York Jets have climbed from seventh to third in the 2026 NFL draft order with their historically poor efforts over the past month.

With the 2025 season long gone, climbing the draft board is a good thing for the Jets’ future at this point. Their desperation for a franchise quarterback is glaringly obvious, and every slot they climb on the draft board will improve their odds of landing one.

Things have been going swimmingly for pro-tank Jets fans, but there was a bit of bad news that emerged in Week 17: The Jets are eliminated from earning the first overall pick.

Here is how the draft order stands going into Week 18:

Las Vegas Raiders (2-14, .542 SOS)

New York Giants (3-13, .531 SOS)

New York Jets (3-13, .550 SOS)

Tennessee Titans (3-13, .574 SOS)

Arizona Cardinals (3-13, .577 SOS)

Cleveland Browns (4-12, .491 SOS)

Washington Commanders (4-12, .509 SOS)

New Orleans Saints (6-10, .493 SOS)

Kansas City Chiefs (6-10, .509 SOS)

Cincinnati Bengals (6-10, .517 SOS)

The highest the Jets can climb in the order is No. 2, which they can pull off with a loss (at Buffalo) and a Giants win (vs. Dallas). However, there is no way they can pass the Raiders, who have a one-game advantage in the standings and have clinched the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over the Jets.

This leaves pro-tank Jets fans in a quagmire as they craft their Week 18 rooting guides.

Essentially, there are two different best-case scenarios that Jets fans can root for, depending on which outcome they deem preferable.

The first option, and the simplest, would be to root for the scenario we just discussed: Leap-frogging the Giants to earn the second overall pick.

However, there is a downside to that scenario. While it would yield the highest possible draft slot, it would lock the Jets behind the Raiders (who also need a quarterback), as there would be no available slots for New York to trade in front of Las Vegas. This likely guarantees that the Jets would be stuck with the second quarterback off the board, unless the Raiders surprisingly do not draft one with the first pick.

The second option is to root for the Giants to leapfrog the Raiders into the No. 1 slot while the Jets hang tight at No. 3. While the Jets would not climb the draft board, the Giants’ presence in the No. 1 slot would open the door for the Jets to trade in front of the Raiders and grab their quarterback of choice.

Which scenario is preferable for the Jets’ future?

Scenario A: Jets climb to No. 2

Requirements: NYJ loss (at BUF), NYG win (vs. DAL)

Draft result: 1. LVR, 2. NYJ

If the Jets have at least two quarterback prospects rated similarly on their board, climbing to No. 2 would be the best outcome. This would allow the Jets to land a top-tier quarterback prospect (in their eyes) without giving up any picks.

For a Jets team that is littered with holes, it would be a tremendous victory to land a franchise quarterback while holding on to each of their whopping eight Round 1-2 picks over the next two drafts. They would get their guy while retaining a massive pile of assets to build around him.

However, if the Jets have a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback on their board, whether that’s Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, or even the dark-horse in Ty Simpson, it would be frustrating to end up in this spot.

At that point, all they could do is pray that Las Vegas doesn’t take their guy. If the Raiders snatch their preferred signal-caller, the Jets would have to choose between settling for a second-tier QB prospect or bypassing the position altogether.

Scenario B: Jets stay at No. 3, but Giants hop Raiders for No. 1

Requirements: NYJ loss (at BUF), NYG loss (vs. DAL), LVR win (vs. KC)

Draft result: 1. NYG, 2. LVR, 3. NYJ

This scenario would leave the Giants, Raiders, and Jets tied for the worst record at 3-14 apiece, with the Giants coming out on top thanks to the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker (which they have already clinched over the Raiders and Jets). The Raiders would remain ahead of the Jets in the tiebreaker, though, leaving us with a Giants-Raiders-Jets top three.

For the Jets, this scenario is preferable if they have a clear-cut No. 1 prospect they are determined to acquire.

With the No. 1 pick owned by a Giants team that does not need a quarterback, the Jets would have an opportunity to trade up and secure whichever quarterback they please. Armed with the league’s shiniest treasure chest of assets, they would be equipped to out-bid the Raiders or any other team for the Giants’ pick.

If the Jets do not have one particular target, though, staying at No. 3 would likely be a worse outcome than climbing to No. 2.

Let’s say that the Jets have precisely two quarterback prospects rated similarly in their top tier. In that case, the Jets would be pressured into moving up from No. 3 to No. 1 to make sure they secure one of them, costing them precious assets that they would not have to spend if they landed at No. 2 in the order (allowing them to hang tight and take whichever QB is left). Otherwise, they would have to sit at No. 3 and pray that the Giants use the first pick on a non-QB to ensure that at least one of the Jets’ top two QBs falls to No. 3.

There is also a world where the Jets have three QBs rated similarly in their top tier. If this is the case, staying put at No. 3 would work out just fine, as the Jets could hang tight and take whoever is left.

Which outcome is better?

Ultimately, the answer to this question is subjective. It depends on how you view the quarterback class.

If you are dead set on one QB prospect being the best of the bunch, you should probably root for the Giants to move up to No. 1. This would open the door for the Jets to trade up and get him.

If you have two QB prospects rated similarly in the top tier, you should root for the Jets to move up to No. 2. This would guarantee that the Jets can land one of your top-tier QB prospects without having to give up any assets.

If you have three QB prospects rated similarly in the top tier, then all you really need is a Jets loss, as it would ensure that the Jets will have the chance to draft at least one of them without trading up.

The Jets’ evaluations of Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, and Ty Simpson will dictate their approach on draft day.