New York Jets Considered 4th-Worst Team in NFL

NFL analyst Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes the New York Jets are the fourth-worst team in the league. 

Davenport has the Jets ahead of the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns. 

All signs point toward the Jets missing the playoffs again next season. However, they shouldn't be the laughingstock of the league again after having a strong draft and offseason transaction cycle.

In the 2026 draft, the Jets did pretty well. They selected David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, Omar Cooper Jr., D'Angelo Ponds, Darrell Jackson Jr., Cade Klubnik, Anez Cooper and VJ Payne.

Before the draft, the Jets acquired Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders, Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins and T'Vondre Sweat from the Tennessee Titans and signed Demario Davis and Tim Patrick in free agency. 

NYJ became the first team in NFL history not to record a defensive interception and lose five straight games by 23 or more points within a single season in 2025. The Jets won only three games in Year 1 of the Aaron Glenn era. 

Davenport believes Bailey will be fun to watch next season. The Jets are best suited to have a bad record again in 2026 so they can have a high pick in the 2027 draft. 

"Fans should find it fun to watch the offense evolve—and seeing what second overall pick David Bailey can do on defense—while knowing that they could be adding a franchise quarterback and a Day 1 starter next April," Davenport wrote. 

In Year 2 of the Glenn era, the Jets face the Titans, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Browns, New England Patriots, Dolphins, Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings.

It will be fascinating to see how many games NYJ wins in 2026 with Smith as the starting QB. Smith is looking to turn back the clock in his second stint with the Jets after leading the NFL in interceptions last season with the Raiders.  

A West Virginia product, Smith enters next season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions in the NFL. His starting record is 42-56-0.

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