Fernando Mendoza addresses NY Jets talk at Heisman Trophy festivities
Fernando Mendoza recalls his first visit to NYC and answers a question about the New York Jets as he focuses on winning a national title.
The New York Jets disastrous 2025 season crash landed this past weekend as they were handed their latest blowout loss in a 35-8 non-competitive season finale against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18.
It marks the end of a tumultuous first season for Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who guided this team to a brutal 3-14 record, their fewest wins in a season since 2020 when they finished 2-14.
One of the few things that’s worked out for the organization this season is their draft picks.
With the 32-point loss and the Giants upset over the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon, the Jets moved up one spot in the draft order and officially own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, per Tankathon.
In addition, the Indianapolis Colts free-fall from a 7-1 start to a 8-9 finish moved the first round pick the Jets received in the Sauce Gardner trade all the way up to No. 16 overall.
The Jets currently have 10 picks to make in April’s draft, including four choices in the top-45 and with potentially two more fifth-round compensation selections incoming as well, via Tankathon.
Will the Jets go after a quarterback? Will they make even more trades to move back and stockpile assets later in the first round and beyond?
Here’s who we have the Jets drafting with their two first round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft:
1st round, No. 2 overall: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
I’ll be honest, trading down is real tempting here.
There’s no guarantee that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will declare for this year’s draft, as he has until later this month to decide to return to be the Ducks’ QB or to opt-in for the NFL Draft.
If Moore does go back to school, the Jets will be sitting ducks (pun intended) with all signs pointing to the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Heisman Trophy winner Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
For this scenario, Moore will enter the draft and selected by the Jets here.
The 20-year-old Detroit, Michigan native transferred from UCLA to Oregon in 2024 despite now Cleveland Browns QB Dillon Gabriel being the starter.
Moore waited his turn to take over the reigns in Eugene this year and didn’t look back.
The patience paid off, as he’s led the Ducks to a 13-1 record so far as he has a rematch date against Mendoza and the Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Despite Mendoza getting the best of Moore and the Ducks in the first meeting 30-20 on Oct. 11 in Eugene, there’s a potential there that whichever signal caller plays better between the two could earns themselves the top spot in this year’s class.
Moore has compiled 3,280 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns (28 passing and two rushing) and has only been sacked 14 times in his lone standout season at Oregon.
It’ll be tough if Moore doesn’t declare or the Jets get an offer they can’t refuse, but ultimately they’ll stay put and draft the best QB available which will be Moore.
1st round, No. 16 overall: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Thanks to the second half collapse by the Colts, the Jets will be picking here in the mid-teens with their second selection in the first round.
If Glenn and Darren Mougey take the quarterback at No. 2 overall, this pick has to be used on defense.
The Jets defense was historically bad in 2025. The unit had the fewest takeaways in a single season (four) in the last 85 years and notoriously the first team since interceptions became a stat in 1933 to not record a single INT in a entire season.
The opposition could easily target the Jets run defense, as they gave up the fourth-most rushing yards (139.5) per game, a key factor to surrendering 29.6 points per game, with only the Cowboys allowing more (30.1).
Insert Peter Woods.
The 21-year-old star interior defensive lineman has been a forced to be reckoned with across his three seasons at Clemson.
Woods also has experience playing off the edge but profiles as a 3-technique in the NFL, a hole the Jets need to plug ASAP after trading former first-round pick and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.
The Jets have other defensive options here with edge rushers and cornerbacks projected to fill the mid-to-late first round, but the addition of Woods here is too much to pass up putting him along the defensive line with Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson.