The NFL Draft is over two months away, but mock draft season is well underway, especially for the New York Jets. With two picks in the first round, all of the different mock drafters have plenty of different players heading to East Rutherford. Who should the Jets take at 2nd and 16th overall, according to the industry's most trusted voices?
Arvell Reese, Ohio State Defensive End
Tim Crean: ClutchPoints, Matthew Freedman: Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life, Danny Kelly: The Ringer, Todd McShay: The McShay Report, Ryan Wilson & Mike Renner: CBS Sports, Field Yates: ESPN, Dan Parr: NFL.com
Arvell Reese, out of Ohio State University, is the selection in all eight mock drafts assessed. The Jets have spent first-round picks on the edge recently, but Jermaine Johnson II and Will McDonald IV both have struggled at times. Meanwhile. Reese was key to the 2024 Buckeyes' National Championship and was a 2025 All-American.
Many of the mock drafts pin Reese's positional versatility as a reason for the Jets to draft him. He can play off-ball linebacker and rush the passer, not unlike Zac Baun did in the 2024 Eagles' run to the Super Bowl. Considering Aaron Glenn's defense needs help all over the field, someone who can play multiple positions is great to have.
None of these mock drafts have the Jets making a trade up to number one to take Fernando Mendoza. A trade takes two sides and the Las Vegas Raiders seem set on taking the Indiana quarterback. But the Jets are flush with picks, so if anyone could do it, it is them.
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Wide Receiver
Matthew Freedman: Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life
Only one mock drafter, Matthew Freedman of Fantasy Life, has the Jets selecting Jordyn Tyson out of Arizona State at 16th overall. Others have them taking wideouts, considering their need for depth behind Garrett Wilson, but Tyson is seen by many as someone who could go higher in the draft.
Tyson is mocked as high as number eight to the New Orleans Saints due to two great seasons for the Sun Devils. In his last 23 games in Tempe, Tyson tallied a ridiculous 1,812 yards with 18 touchdowns. He is one of four wide receivers who are nearly guaranteed to go in the first round.
Makai Lemon, USC Wide Receiver
Danny Kelly: The Ringer, Todd McShay: The McShay Report, Mike Renner: CBS Sports
With Tyson off the board in many mock drafts, the Jets commonly select Makai Lemon out of USC. After winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver, thanks to 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, he is heading to the NFL. Many Jets fans may be put off by his size at receiver, only 5'11”, but Danny Kelly of The Ringer says there is no reason to fear.
“Lemon makes up for his below-average height with outsize levels of dog at the catch point, combining body control, toughness, and concentration to bring down balls that he has no business corralling,” Kelly wrote.
Ty Simpson, Alabama Quarterback
CBS Sports mock drafter Ryan Wilson is the only writer to mock a quarterback to the Jets in these eight articles. It comes at number 16 in the form of Ty Simpson out of Alabama. After a sluggish season in Tuscaloosa, Simpson is declaring for the draft without much hype around him.
Few teams in the league need a quarterback more than the Jets. Their current situation is so dire that Justin Fields may be the Week 1 starter again. But many other mock drafters do not have Simpson going in the first round at all, a product of a poor season in an NFL-caliber offense.
Brandon Cisse, South Carolina Cornerback
The Jets got this pick by trading cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts at the NFL trade deadline. So, it should come as no surprise that they select a cornerback in many mocks. That starts here with Tim Crean giving New York Brandon Cisse out of South Carolina.
Cisse is seen as a raw prospect with the opportunity to explode at the NFL Combine. While the Jets have a long time until contention, Aaron Glenn may not have a long time on the sideline. With a coaching change potentially coming next year, this is the kind of pick that has burned the Jets in the past.
Jermod McCoy, Tennessee Cornerback
Dan Parr of NFL.com is the other mock drafter to give the Jets a cornerback to replace Gardner. Parr does say that he would not be surprised if the Jets selected a receiver, something other mock drafters have done, but the need for a cornerback is strong. McCoy picked up four interceptions in his lone season for the Volunteers and is largely seen as a first-round pick.
Caleb Banks, Florida Defensive Tackle
At the trade deadline, the Jets also parted ways with Quinnen Williams. They picked up a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, but that did leave a need for a defensive tackle heading into this offseason. ESPN's Field Yates is the only one to fill that hole, giving the Jets Caleb Banks out of Florida.
Banks is a five-year college player who suffered an injury in his final season with the Gators. But his 4.5 sacks in 2024 from the interior line postion has him as a first-round player. The Jets need young, talented players on their defense and Banks fills that hole.
