The New York Jets have not been shy about shaking up the roster early in Aaron Glenn's regime. New York made two massive trades at the deadline in 2025, which suggests this rebuild is just beginning. The Jets agreed to another surprising trade on Thursday on the defensive side of the ball.
The Jets traded edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Titans in exchange for nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. That trade will not be official until the start of the new league year, but both sides have agreed to the terms.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Johnson quitely wanted out of New York and specifically wanted to reunite with Robert Saleh in Tennessee. That dream will soon become a reality.
The Jets suddenly very little depth at edge rusher behind Will McDonald IV. That has led multiple NFL draft analysts to suggests New York will pick an edge rusher with the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“This only increases the urgency for Edge with the No. 2 overall pick for the Jets,” Todd McShay wrote on social media on Thursday. “It’ll be an upset if it’s not Arvell Reese or David Bailey.”
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller was thinking the same thing, writing “go ahead and pick an EDGE for the Jets at 2” shortly after the trade.
The Jets were often paired with edge rushers in mock drafts before the Johnson trade. Now it could be an absolute certainty.
Several mock drafts had New York selecting Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese. One reason why he could be attractive to the Jets is his positional versatility, which Glenn could make great use of.
Meanwhile, Bailey is one of the most athletic players in the entire draft. In fact, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman put him in sixth place on his annual Freaks List.
Ultimately, the Jets should have their pick of any defensive player in the draft. The Raiders seem destined to select Fernando Mendoza at first overall.
That means New York can take their time deciding who they want to select at second overall without any stress.
