“With the second pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Arvell Reese, linebacker, Ohio State.”

If you are an avid mock draft consumer, you’ve already seen that scenario play out in your head countless times. It seems like every mock drafter in the land has bought in on the idea that Reese is the Jets’ clear-cut choice at No. 2 overall.

Well, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah isn’t buying it.

His pick for the Jets at No. 16 is far from common, too.

Here are the top 16 selections from Jeremiah’s mock draft 2.0, shared just ahead of the 2026 combine:

Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

New York Jets: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

Arizona Cardinals: Francia Mauigoa, OT, Miami

Tennessee Titans: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

New York Giants: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Cleveland Browns: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

Washington Commanders: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State

New Orleans Saints: Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Dallas Cowboys: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Los Angeles Rams: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

Baltimore Ravens: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

New York Jets: Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State

After mocking Reese to the Jets in his January edition, Jeremiah has pivoted to a different edge rusher, projecting the Jets to pass on Reese in favor of Texas Tech’s Davis Bailey. It’s a move he recently hinted at when discussing his takeaways from watching film of the 2026 offensive tackle class.

“Finishing up the OT class and it seems like most of them have something in common– they got absolutely smoked by Texas Tech Edge David Bailey,” wrote Jeremiah last week.

Bailey’s extremely productive 2025 season at Texas Tech gives him a high chance of succeeding in the NFL based on metrics that have historically carried predictive weight for first-round edge prospects. More so than most other positions on the field, college production at EDGE tends to translate to the NFL, and Bailey, who had 14.5 sacks and 81 total pressures this past season, offers production in spades.

At No. 16, Jeremiah has the Jets taking Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane. Many analysts peg USC wide receiver Makai Lemon to the Jets in this slot, but Jeremiah has Lemon going all the way up at No. 8. Jeremiah keeps the Jets on the offensive side of the ball with their second pick, but shifts the focus to the offensive line.

The Jets’ offensive line was solid in 2025, but they had issues at the left guard and center spots. Moving into 2026, starting left guard John Simpson is an unrestricted free agent, while center Josh Myers could be replaced by right guard Joe Tippmann, who was initially expected to start at center before an injury forced Tippmann to move.

Even if Tippmann stays home at right guard, the Jets have at least one starting guard spot to fill, so Ioane could make sense for them. In 2025, the redshirt junior allowed no sacks, no hits, and four hurries across 311 pass-blocking snaps (12 starts). Ioane played left guard, so he would be a natural fit for the Jets’ vacancy. He could be the piece that elevates the Jets’ offensive line from good to great.

Jeremiah’s Bailey-Ioane pairing is an unconventional one for New York in the current mock-draft landscape, but that could change in the coming weeks as prognosticators catch on to the talent level of both players, especially if they light up the combine.