Though the draft presents opportunity to fill those needs, Mougey emphasized that there are several other pieces to the puzzle. The Jets had one of the younger rosters in the NFL in 2025, especially later in the season. Heading into Week 18, the team led the league in snaps by first- and second-year players. Several of those young players, including the Jets’ 2025 draft selections, had opportunities to contribute. And while the upcoming draft selections could look to do the same, Mougey stressed that exploring veteran additions will also be beneficial.
“Starting in free agency, we feel really good about the cap space we have,” Mougey said. “We believe we’ll be able to add some good players during this free agency process to the team that will really help us. … [We have] an opportunity to add some veteran players, some veteran leadership at certain positions.”
Mougey also shared that there are foundational members of the roster that he hopes will be part of the plan, including RB Breece Hall. While long-term vision will play a role in the decision-making process, Mougey also remains committed to the idea of being competitive right away.
“We want to compete and be better and we’re going to be better next year,” Mougey said. “And having three [first-round picks] gives us a lot of flexibility in the future. So, I’m excited about the three ones in 2027, but really excited about the draft capital that we have this year too.”
With the 2026 NFL Draft just two months away, Mougey is set to begin putting together the pieces of the puzzle.
“I think you’ve got to leave everything on the table,” Mougey said of draft decisions, adding, “At the end of the day, we’ve got to add good players. And there are so many variables that go into that.”