The New York Jets are in a perfect position to do major damage in the 2026 NFL Draft after a huge upset in Week 17.
Do you believe in miracles? If not, well, you'd better start to after what occurred during Week 17 of the 2025 NFL regular season.
Heading into the second-to-last week of the season, the New York Jets were not in a favorable spot for the 2026 NFL Draft. Trailing behind multiple teams for the top spot in the upcoming draft, general manager Darren Mougey needed a few upsets to set himself up for the draft.
And yet, the unthinkable happened on Sunday afternoon.
After the Jets lost their four consecutive game in Week 17, fans quickly turned their attention to the Cleveland Browns' matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite the Steelers being on the brink of clinching the AFC North, the franchise was unable to claim a playoff spot on Sunday, dramatically losing to the Browns, 13-6.
This was exactly what the Jets needed this past week, as the struggling franchise was behind Cleveland in the peaking order for the draft. The Browns’ victory now slates the Jets in the No. 3 spot for the 2026 NFL Draft, just one spot behind the New York Giants.
With a top-three pick locked up, depending on the outcome of the team’s final regular-season game against the Buffalo Bills, the Jets now find themselves in a perfect spot to take their next franchise quarterback.
Since the Giants selected rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jets can take either Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore, depending on who the Las Vegas Raiders take with the No. 1 pick.
In addition to being in range to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft, New York also received some more positive news on Sunday.
The Indianapolis Colts’ hopes for a playoff spot were quickly eliminated on Sunday afternoon after losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This means that the Jets’ second first-round pick (via the Colts) is guaranteed to be a top-18 pick.
Looking at the potential draft strategies for Mougey and the rest of the front office, the Jets could have a clear path to selecting a franchise quarterback and a star receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson.
One name that could spark interest is USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who would be a perfect fit for the team’s offense in 2026.
Lemon may be limited to a “power slot” role at the NFL level, but offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has plenty of experience with this type of player.
Before coming to New York, Engstrand was the passing game coordinator for the Detroit Lions, who used Amon-Ra St. Brown in this role for most of his career. Adding Lemon into the slot gives the offense more flexibility within the passing game for the future.