The regular season is over, and most Jets draft picks have been set. We still need to get official word on what compensation picks the Jets will get and which picks the Jets will get from trades. However, we do have a much better sense of what the Jets will be able to do, especially on Days 1 and 2. As always, this mock draft was run on the PFF Mock Draft Simulator.
Round 1, 2nd Overall: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
The Jets are almost certainly going to take a quarterback here, unless Moore returns to school. The possibility of that happening skyrocketed on Friday with a lackluster performance against Indiana. But the one bad game aside, the upside with Moore is still clear.
He’s exceedingly young, a great athlete, and he excels in the simple things that allow quarterbacks to survive in the league. He gets rid of the ball quickly, usually avoids sacks, and excels on timing and rhythm throws in large part because of his usually excellent ball placement.
However, Moore’s arm isn’t that strong, and that can get him in trouble. And you saw on Friday what can happen when a defense takes away what’s schemed for him. That, of course, leads to the question that eventually falls on every Oregon quarterback. Is it the scheme or the quarterback?
Jets would probably be better served punting for a year with a veteran stopgap while they continue to build out a roster. But with a GM and HC on the ropes and an owner who chases headlines more than wins, this feels inevitable.
Round 1, 16th Overall: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The top cornerback in this year’s NFL Draft did not play a single down of football in the 2025 season. Also incredibly young, won’t turn 21 until August, McCoy missed the season due to a torn ACL that he suffered last January.
In 2024, McCoy was elite. He had an 89.6 coverage grade, intercepted four passes, had six pass breakups, and only gave up two touchdowns. He gave up 50+ yards only three times that season, the most being 73 yards against Arkansas. But he held opponents in general to 50% completion and 386 yards.
The Jets need massive help in the secondary as they don’t have a single starting caliber cornerback on the roster. If McCoy were healthy, he’d probably be a top 10 pick. This is a shot to draft a premium player with a mid-first round pick. That is, of course, if he can stay healthy.
Round 2, 33rd Overall: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
The Jets have a great route runner in Garrett Wilson, who wins his one-on-one matchups nearly every time. Now they need a physical receiver who can be a safety blanket and red zone target. Enter Elijah Sarratt. He stands 6 foot 2 and 213 pounds, and he plays much bigger than that.
Sarratt is an incredibly physical wide receiver who often wins with his strength. For his career, he’s caught 58.3% of his contested targets. The one worry here is that he doesn’t create enough separation. 30.3% of Sarratt’s targets this season have been contested, that’s way too high. Pretty much every receiver who’s ever been drafted with a contested target rate that high has ended up a bust. The only one who’s found even moderate success in the NFL is Alec Pierce, and he’s never been consistent. Sarratt also isn’t the athlete that Pierce is.
The question here is whether or not Sarratt can create enough separation to win in the NFL. The hope would be that playing against CB2s opposite Garrett Wilson would be a help.
Round 2, 44th Overall: Gennings Dunker, G, Iowa
Gennings Dunker came to Iowa a guard, and left a right tackle. As he heads to the NFL, Dunker is likely going to play guard again.
Dunker has always been a better run blocker than pass blocker. He has struggled at times with speed rushers and pass blocking in general. He gave up 10 pressures this year and 2 sacks, he posted a 77.7 PFF pass block grade. He’s a much better run blocker, earning a 90.1 run block grade in 2024.
Moving back inside will allow his power to shine. I think there’s a very real possibility he’s a better pro than college player.
Round 4, 103rd Overall: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
The Jets add the best linebacker in the country in the fourth round. Rodriguez is an overage player. He’ll be 24 before he plays an NFL snap. That comes with a boatload of college production.
Rodriguez is a heat seaking missle, a downhill tackler. He has a nose for the football that’s clear with his 81 tackles this season. He had 58 run stops. He intercepted four passes, had three pass deflections, and forced seven fumbles. Unbelievable numbers.
But that comes with a caveat. He missed 14.3% of tackles this past season, which is actually down from the year before. He also gave up 82.1% completion and 455 yards. He’s always around the football, and part of that is because the football keeps finding him.
Rodriguez has some stuff to work out, but the tools are there. And hey, he has special teams ability, so even if he doesn’t find the field as a linebacker, he’ll still have a use.
Round 5, 175th Overall: Xzavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss
The Jets need a big body in the middle to help them stop the run. Late on Day 3 is exactly when you take that guy.
Harris is a massive human being. He’s 6 foot 8 and 330 pounds according to PFF, and that space eating translates. Harris had 27 run stops this season, a 9.7% run stop rate, he missed just 8% of his tackles, and he posted a 77.4 run defense grade.
Harris isn’t much of a pass rusher, but a 7.1% pass rush rate isn’t nothing. It’s not good, but it’s not Jordan Davis or Peter Woods bad. The hope is that he’ll throw in 2 or 3 sacks a year while playing a major part in your defense. He’ll always be a rotational player.
Round 5, 178th Overall: Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
Thompson is a tough evaluation for a lot of reasons. The size is a major concern, he’s only 5-foot 9 and 170 pounds, and that’s being generous. But the production speaks for itself.
Thompson was a 1,000 yard receiver this season, and that was in large part due to his elite speed and ability as a deep threat. He averaged 18.5 yards per reception, not usually what you expect from a 5-foot 9 dude. He also wasn’t playing in the slot despite his size. Only 13% of his snaps came in the slot. Given his size, it’s very unlikely he’s going to play outside a ton in the NFL, if at all.
Three things stand out as concerns here. First, his size is an issue. Whether it’s as a blocker, playing against bigger cornerbacks on the outside, or even as a deep ball threat in contested catch situations, he’s going to struggle. Second, despite his speed he’s not gotten a lot of YAC. Only 23.1% of his yards came via YAC. Third, he has a limited route tree coming from an air raid offense.
All of that said, late on Day 3, with elite speed and top-end production, you take a chance here. You never know, maybe he’s the next Tyreek Hill.
Round 6, 204th Overall: Eli Heidenreich, FB, Navy
First I want to note that I’m not sure this is the pick the Jets own. The Jets had three sixth round picks in this class, but traded two of them away. It’s not yet clear which two have been traded, but Spotrac.com lists the Bills pick as the only one the Jets have, so I’m going off that.
Now that that’s over with, let’s talk about a fullback. The Jets used Andrew Beck a ton in 2025 and he’s not very good. So the Jets turn their attention to a player that can block, catch, and help on special teams. Eli Heidenreich is the only draft-worthy fullback in the class.
Heidenreich ran for 499 yards, had 941 yards receiving, earned an overall 92.9 grade from PFF, and plays special teams. He’s a true all-around fullback. It’s hard to guarantee a roster spot and snaps to a borderline seventh-round pick. Heidenreich would get those things.
Round 7, 218th Overall: Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
The Jets take their second shot at a quarterback hoping to find a long-term backup. This time that shot will be Diego Pavia. The Vanderbilt QB was a Heisman finalist and is known for his off-the-field demeanor.
On the field Pavia looks like an early Day 3, maybe even a Day 2 QB. He’s athletic, he’s got a good arm, and his production is good. He has his flaws, his size being one of them. But talent-wise he probably shouldn’t still be here.
However, Pavia is known to have attitude problems. Perhaps Aaron Glenn thinks he can fix that and get the most out of him.
Round 7, 240th Overall: Noah Wittington, RB, Oregon
I mostly just wanted to give Dante Moore a friendly face. Wittington is a former teammate and a decent running back. Wittington probably doesn’t make the team but perhaps he can make the practice squad.