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A snapshot of the New York Jets being on the clock during the NFL Draft.
The New York Jets hold the keys to the 2026 NFL draft.
They have four picks inside the top-44. Gang Green’s biggest need is to solve the quarterback position. Unfortunately, April’s draft is a one-horse race, and the Jets pick No. 2 overall.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report revealed the “dream scenario” for the Jets is manipulating the draft board in 2026 to set themselves up for a historic 2027.
“In a more realistic dream scenario, the Jets may be able to move back from either the No. 2 or No. 16 spot for another 2027 first-rounder, which would give them a total of four for next year’s draft,” Moton wrote.
“General manager Darren Mougey should play the long game for his franchise quarterback. Assuming he has the leeway to retain his job for another year, the Jets can roll with a bridge-gap signal-caller in 2026 and then maneuver for a top quarterback prospect and a few other high-end collegiate standouts next offseason,” Moton continued.
“So, even if Gang Green doesn’t get the No. 1 overall pick for the 2027 draft, it would still have the resources to move up for a signal-caller while filling other needs on Day 1,” Moton added.
The Jets Have Lottery Tickets for 2027
In 2027, the Jets have their own first-round pick, the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round pick, and whatever the better pick is between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.
That is three whacks at the piñata.
PFF’s lead NFL draft analyst, Trevor Sikkema, told me on “Boy Green Daily” that the 2027 NFL draft will be historic at not only the QB position, but also at other top positions in the draft.
A wise man once said that greed is good. That greed is right, greed works, greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
If this class is going to be as historic as some say, then you can’t have enough lottery tickets in that class.
The main reason that the Jets shipped off Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in blockbuster trades is for a chance. A chance to compete, a chance to be relevant, and a chance to change the fortunes of this God-forsaken franchise.
The NFL is very much a binary product. There are the haves and the have-nots. You either have a quarterback, or you don’t.
Bluntly, the Jets don’t have one and haven’t had one for quite some time. These trades give the Jets the ammo to find one of these commodities. It doesn’t guarantee that they will, but it gives them a fighting chance.
It doesn’t appear the Jets will be able to find it in 2026. This draft class doesn’t provide the answers to the question, at least on the surface. It’s always tricky to promise next year because so much can change, but the 2027 NFL draft provides hope.
Another first-round pick in 2027 is another opportunity for that golden ticket to get out of the bottom and work to the top.
Jets Will Need Some Luck for This Dream Scenario to Become Available
Former NFL scout Bucky Brooks and NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah don’t believe there will be a strong trade demand for the No. 2 overall pick.
If the Jets’ dream is to acquire a fourth first-rounder in 2027, on paper, that would have been a way to do it. However, no demand for the pick makes it difficult to imagine.
Perhaps the green and white can get lucky with the No. 16 overall pick. It’s rare, but sometimes teams are willing to pay an iron price if they fall in love with a prospect.
Last year, the Atlanta Falcons struck a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, giving up a future first-round pick in the process.
“In return for No. 26 and a third-round pick (No. 101), the Rams received the Falcons’ first-round pick in 2026, as well their second-round pick (No. 46) and seventh-round pick (No. 242) in 2025,” ESPN’s Sarah Barshop wrote.
Back in the 2018 NFL draft, a team at the bottom of the first round traded up to the middle of the first round, giving up a future No. 1 pick in the process.
“The Saints on Thursday night swung a trade with the Packers — rising from No. 27 to No. 14 overall — to grab edge rusher Marcus Davenport. To complete the deal, New Orleans agreed to give up this year’s fifth-rounder (No. 147) and next year’s first-round selection,” NFL Media Group’s Marc Sessler wrote.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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