There have been some obvious names in the 2026 NFL draft for the New York Jets to take at two, and barring something drastic happening, it seems like New York will go in that direction.
Someone like Arvell Reese continues to be in the conversation, as he's viewed as a generational type of prospect coming off the edge, something the Jets and many other teams around the NFL should be looking at with a top-five pick.
However, every draft has weird moments, some that no one expects, and Michael Nania’s latest idea would be just that.
Instead of selecting Reese, Nania named Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate as an option at No. 2 overall.
"The Jets’ second-overall-pick debate has been whittled down to Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey, it seems. Should the Jets take the jack-of-all-trades defensive weapon, or the pure pass rusher? If there is a dark horse in the conversation, it’s Miami defensive end Rueben Bain, who was similarly dominant in college to Reese and Bailey, but dropped out of the conversation after the combine revealed he has T. rex arms.
"Not enough people are considering that Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate could very well be in the conversation. After all, wide receiver is arguably the Jets’ biggest need outside of quarterback. It’s a premium, offensive position where the Jets have essentially no depth and no reliable second starter in a unit that essentially requires three starters in today’s 11-personnel-heavy NFL," he wrote.
It might sound like the wrong idea to some, but I absolutely don't hate the idea of going after somebody like Tate with the second pick. I'm curious to see if he falls on draft night and whether it's possible for the Jets to trade up from their second first-round pick instead, but I highly doubt he's there after 10.
Adding Tate would give the Jets a potential No. 1 WR talent on a rookie contract, as he's someone who can immediately step in and be an answer for an offense that needs a lot of help still.
It may not be the popular pick. It may not even be the expected one. But it’s the kind of move that, if it hits, changes everything about how the Jets operate offensively moving forward.