No time to waste!
Off the draft board
Punter
Long snapper
Return specialist
Special teamer
Don’t laugh: Long snappers get drafted plenty often in the NFL. The Jets, though, don’t have to worry about this position for the 10th straight season, thanks to Thomas Hennessy.
Kene Nwangwu and Isaiah Williams have the returner spots locked down after both earning All-Pro votes in 2025, and the same goes for Austin McNamara, who ranked third in All-Pro voting among punters. The re-signings of players like Andrew Beck and Mykal Walker keep the Jets’ core special teamers intact from an elite unit.
13. Kicker
It would be silly to rank kicker over any offensive or defensive position, as the kicker spot cannot come into play until Day 3. Still, after losing Nick Folk and failing to find an adequate veteran replacement as of yet, the Jets will be in the kicker market on draft weekend.
12. Safety
The Jets seem to be set at safety, boasting a combination of experienced veterans and young prospects. Still, given that their head coach is a former defensive back, you can never rule out an earlier safety pick than expected, especially since one of the starting spots is expected to be up for grabs in the summer.
11. Linebacker
While the Demario Davis-Jamien Sherwood duo has the ceiling to be one of the best in the league, the Jets lack long-term stability at this position, so it could be a mid-round target. Still, with a starting pairing like that, the Jets are unlikely to spend early draft capital on an off-ball linebacker, especially since it is a non-premium position.
10. Running back
If the Jets aren’t planning to extend Breece Hall (which could still happen), they need to be thinking about long-term contingencies. They can also afford to push Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. It never hurts to add a mid-round running back.
9. Offensive tackle
The Jets’ starting tackle duo is set with Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, and they hope that is the case for years to come. However, New York’s depth could use work. Chukwuma Okorafor and Max Mitchell aren’t the worst pair of backup tackles in football, but there is room for improvement.
8. Guard
Like tackle, the Jets’ starting guard duo is set with Dylan Parham and Joe Tippmann. And while tackle is a more premium position, guard ranks higher on this list due to the weaker depth. Currently, the next men up at guard would be Xavier Newman and Marquis Hayes. That’s a risky way to enter the season.
7. Defensive tackle
The Jets’ defensive tackle unit is arguably the deepest position group on the team. They are four-deep with quality players. However, defensive tackle is arguably a premium position, and the Jets lack a superstar here, so it cannot be ruled out that they take a high-upside swing with one of their four top-45 picks.
6. Tight end
Second-round rookie Mason Taylor showed a promising ceiling, although he still has proving to do, as he struggled with drops late in the year. After that, the Jets don’t have much to write home about at this position. Jeremy Ruckert suffices as a TE2, but he is nowhere close to the type of player who would preclude you from pursuing talented players at the position.
If the Jets identify a tight end who they believe can move the needle as an offensive weapon, they should take him. This team needs offensive firepower in any way they can get it.
5. Cornerback
Similar to defensive tackle, the Jets have solid depth at this premium position, but they are still looking for a star. The only player on their roster with that type of potential is 2025 third-round pick Azareye’h Thomas, who remains unproven. Cornerback is a dark horse candidate for the Jets’ 16th overall pick, especially with a former Pro Bowl corner as their head coach.
4. Center
Whichever avenue the Jets can find to improve their offense, they must take it. One of the easiest available avenues exists at the center spot. Josh Myers was one of the league’s weakest starting centers in 2025. There is immense room for improvement here.
Starting in the second round, the Jets shouldn’t hesitate to draft a center who they think can push for Myers’ starting spot in Year 1. A quality starting center would take the Jets’ offensive line from good to great.
3. Edge defender
New York had one of the weakest edge units in 2025. They further weakened it by trading Jermaine Johnson, but balanced it by adding Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare to bolster the depth.
Like most premium positions on this roster, the issue is the lack of star power, which makes it a top priority for New York with their early draft picks. Expect the second overall pick to be used on an edge defender.
2. Wide receiver
If the Jets had to play a game today and Garrett Wilson couldn’t suit up, the Jets’ 11 personnel package would feature Adonai Mitchell, Isaiah Williams, and Arian Smith. You simply aren’t going to win football games with that crew.
As a premium position with essentially zero depth, this is easily the Jets’ weakest position outside of the obvious pick at No. 1. They lack both reliable backups and a feared complement for Wilson.
1. Quarterback
The Jets’ penciled-in starter is a 35-year-old who ranked last in both QBR and adjusted EPA per play among 30 qualified non-rookie quarterbacks last year. Both of their backups have more career interceptions than touchdowns.
No contest.
The question is, will the Jets allow their desperation at the game’s most important position to push them into an aggressive draft move? Or will they have the patience to kick the can down the road to 2027?