With three picks in the top 35, the New York Jets are in as good a position as any team in the league to at least hit this draft out of the park. That doesn't mean that New York will be a good team next season, but it will put them in a much better situation than it has been over the past few seasons. The New York Jets are heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the more flexible and intriguing situations in the league.
According to ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, the Jets have multiple ways they could go about things. While the quarterback situation continues to be at the top of that list, it isn't a given that New York goes in that direction. Instead, it could go after a wide receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson.
“What we're hearing about the Jets' draft: With three picks inside the top 33, the Jets will take a true best-player-available approach, but don't be surprised if they end Round 1 with three picks ... using none of them on a QB. The Jets are expected to be aggressive in boosting their wide receivers room, and Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana) is one player they are reported to be extremely high on. They view him as an ideal complementary WR2 to Garrett Wilson,” he wrote.
Having Cooper and Wilson together would be a whole lot of fun, as the Indiana star proved a year ago during his National Championship run that he can be one of the more intriguing and top wide receivers in the NFL due to his ability to make plays one-on-one.
Everybody likes to talk about what Fernando Mendoza did for that Indiana offense, and no one would blame them for doing so, but you also have to factor in that Cooper bailed him out a lot. There were multiple times where he threw the ball up one-on-one, and Cooper made incredible plays. That's extremely valuable for a team like the Jets.