New York Jets 2026 NFL Draft Grades: Pick-by-Pick Analysis

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

In a crucial 2026 draft, the New York Jets made a series of moves with hopes of improving the roster and changing the direction of the franchise. In this article, I will be grading each draft pick based on player talent (scaled to draft round), other players available at the pick, team need, prospect ranking (from Daniel Jeremiah on NFL Network, Mel Kiper Jr. on ESPN, and Pro Football Focus), and trade value spent and received according to the Jimmy Johnson Draft Value Chart (if applicable).

Round 1, Pick 2: EDGE David Bailey

The Jets’ offseason consisted of a significant debate between selecting Arvell Reese or David Bailey, and even though most fans wanted Reese, the front office ended up surprising everyone with Bailey. Bailey is an extremely talented pass rusher who finished this past season with 14.5 sacks, which was tied for first in college football. Bailey has an elite arsenal of pass rush moves, an explosive first step, and is extremely athletic. After finishing second to last in sacks in the NFL and trading away EDGE Jermaine Johnson, the Jets filled a major need with this pick. Bailey was ranked 4th (NFL), 5th (ESPN), and 6th (PFF), meaning the Jets did not overly reach on him at pick No. 2.

Grade: A-

Round 1, Pick 16: TE Kenyon Sadiq

Coming into the draft, the tight end position was a need for the Jets, but they were not expected to target one early. Once again, the Jets surprised the league by passing on wide receiver Makai Lemon and selecting the Oregon tight end at pick No. 16. Kenyon Sadiq is a physical specimen. At 6’3” and 241 pounds, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time for a tight end in NFL Combine history. Sadiq is too fast for linebackers and too strong for defensive backs, which creates matchup problems for opposing defenses. Sadiq was ranked 14th (NFL), 15th (ESPN), and 14th (PFF), which indicates the Jets selected him at the right spot. Although the Jets passed on a talented wide receiver for a tight end, which negatively impacted the grade at first, they later traded back up into the first round for a wide receiver, which factors against that penalty.

Grade: A

Round 1, Pick 30 (Trade up): WR Omar Cooper Jr.

After passing on a wide receiver at pick No. 16, the Jets were almost guaranteed to take one with their next selection. Instead of waiting until the second round, the Jets traded back into the first round to select Omar Cooper Jr., a player they were heavily linked to. Cooper Jr. played in the slot on 88.3% of his snaps this past season at Indiana but is projected to play both inside and outside for the Jets. He is a well-rounded player with strong hands and is best known for his ability to create plays after the catch, averaging 7.2 yards after the catch and forcing 27 missed tackles in 2025. With the Jets’ weak wide receiver corps, drafting Cooper Jr. at pick No. 30 filled a major hole on their roster at solid value, as he was ranked the 17th (NFL), 35th (ESPN), and 24th (PFF) prospect in the draft. To acquire pick No. 30, the Jets traded picks No. 33 and No. 179. According to the Jimmy Johnson Draft Value Chart, pick No. 30 is worth 620 points, while picks No. 33 and No. 179 are worth 599.4 points combined. This indicates the Jets gained slight value in the trade, which positively affects the grade.

Grade: A

Round 2, Pick 50 (Trade down): CB D’Angelo Ponds

With the Jets’ only Day 2 pick, they selected cornerback D’Angelo Ponds after trading back with the Detroit Lions. Ponds is a notoriously short corner, standing at 5’8”, but he makes up for this with his physicality and vertical jump, which was the fourth-highest by a cornerback in NFL Combine history at 43.5 inches. Ponds was able to hold up against much taller receivers this past season at Indiana and was a major part of their national championship run. In 2025, Ponds ranked first among all cornerbacks in PFF Wins Above Average and had the seventh-highest PFF grade (89.9) among 908 eligible cornerbacks in college football. The addition of D’Angelo Ponds filled a major need at cornerback for the Jets, as they had an extremely weak secondary this past season, finishing with zero total interceptions. The Jets’ selection of Ponds at pick No. 50 was in line with the consensus rankings, with him being ranked 50th (NFL), 57th (ESPN), and 43rd (PFF). To trade back to pick No. 50, the Jets received picks No. 50 and No. 128 while giving away pick No. 44. According to the Jimmy Johnson Draft Value Chart, the Jets gave away 460 points worth of picks and received 444, indicating a slight overpay.

Grade: B+

Round 4, Pick 103: DT Darrell Jackson Jr.

The Jets had multiple draft picks on Day 3 of the draft, and with their first Day 3 pick, they selected the Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr., who adds needed depth to the roster. The 6'6", 315-pound defensive tackle is known for his premier run-stopping ability and is a high-potential developmental player. With the Jets giving up the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL this past season, the front office’s vision with this pick is clear: bolster the defensive line. Jackson Jr.’s most recent season lacked flashes as a pass rusher, but he has shown that ability before, recording 5 sacks in 2024—something he will look to replicate in the NFL. Darrell Jackson Jr. was not ranked in Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 prospects; however, he was ranked 147th by ESPN and 79th by PFF, reflecting mixed value for this pick.

Grade: B

Round 4, Pick 110 (Trade Up): QB Cade Klubnik

The Jets had a lot of buzz around multiple quarterbacks leading up to the draft, as they do not have their future signal-caller or a reliable backup. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was one quarterback who was not heavily mentioned around the Jets, but in a surprising trade up with the Bengals, the Jets selected Cade Klubnik with the 110th pick in the draft. Klubnik had a standout 2024 season and was thought to be a Heisman candidate heading into 2025, but after a poor season, his draft stock plummeted. Klubnik lacks the arm strength to make some NFL-level throws, but he has the ability to add perfect touch on his passes. Klubnik also has the ability to escape the pocket when it collapses but tends to run too early. Klubnik still needs a lot of development to be anywhere near NFL-ready. More specifically, he will need to work on throwing under pressure and reading defenses both pre-snap and post-snap. Overall, selecting Klubnik at pick No. 110 was very questionable, as he ranked outside of both Daniel Jeremiah’s and Mel Kiper Jr.’s top 150 prospects and 166th on PFF. Although they reached on Klubnik, they received more value by giving away picks No. 128 and No. 140 (80 points total) for picks No. 110 and No. 199 (85.4 points total). However, that does not justify selecting a prospect ranked outside the top 150 at pick No. 110.

Grade: C-

Round 6, Pick 188 (Trade Up): G Anez Cooper

Since the Jets did not have a fifth-round pick, their next pick came in the sixth round, where they selected the Miami guard, Anez Cooper. Coming into the draft, guard depth was a need, which this pick addressed while also giving the Jets a potential future starter. Cooper started four years at Miami and was a part of a strong Miami Hurricanes offensive line in 2025. He is an explosive guard at 6’6” and 350 pounds and is strong in the passing game, where he allowed no sacks in 2025. Cooper tends to struggle when blocking in open space in the run game and when blocking athletic pass rushers. If he can sit for a year and refine his game, the Jets may have found themselves a quality starter in Round 6 of the draft. Anez Cooper is ranked outside Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 prospects but was projected as a fifth-rounder according to Lance Zierlein. He is ranked as the 11th-best guard according to Mel Kiper Jr. and the 206th overall prospect according to Pro Football Focus. With the Jets selecting him at pick No. 188, it aligns with his projected draft range and is a fair value at this pick. To acquire this pick, the Jets traded up and gained value, sending picks No. 199 and No. 242 (12.4 points total) in exchange for pick No. 188 (15.8 points).

Grade: B+

Round 7, Pick 228: S VJ Payne

In the last round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets selected VJ Payne, a safety from Kansas State. With this pick, the Jets added a high-upside safety, which was a minor need. Payne has all of the physical traits of an NFL player. He is 6'3" with 33¾" arms and runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, which makes him an interesting safety prospect. Payne is also exceptionally versatile, as he played 123 snaps in the slot, 8 at corner, 386 in the box, and 176 deep, according to PFF. He is extremely good in man coverage, especially when guarding tight ends, which is something becoming more valued in the NFL. His game does need some development, though. He lacks the physicality you would want from a safety and needs to improve his tackling, which the Jets’ coaching staff will try to address. Mel Kiper Jr. did not have VJ Payne in his top 150 prospects and had him ranked as the 13th-best safety in the class, while Daniel Jeremiah and PFF had him as the 136th and 205th prospects. Lance Zierlein had Payne graded as a fourth- to fifth-round draft pick, meaning at pick No. 228, VJ Payne can be considered a late-round steal.

Grade: B+

All things considered, the New York Jets had a very solid draft, adding immediate contributors and potential future contributors. The Jets addressed multiple needs and added depth. However, one issue they chose to ignore was linebacker depth, which was a clear need. Even with that, the Jets still came away with a strong overall draft class.

Overall grade: B+

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