The 2026 NFL Draft is upcoming, and speculation continues about which players will go where. A new ESPN mock draft has the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets making a trade.
“A few months after teaming up in the Quinnen Williams trade, the Jets and Cowboys can make another deal. New York sends Dallas the first-rounder it acquired in the Sauce Gardner trade (No. 16), a fourth-rounder and a seventh-round selection to move up to the No. 12 pick,” Jordan Reid reported for the outlet.
With the 12th pick, ESPN is projecting that the Jets will take wide receiver Makai Lemon from USC. The Jets also have the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
ESPN projects Dallas will use the 16th pick on Dillon Thieneman, a safety from Oregon.
Jets and Cowboys both hope to improve for 2026
The Jets and Cowboys both had losing seasons in 2025. Both teams are striving to make lots of changes for 2026. The Cowboys are expected to spend a lot in free agency, while the Jets have lots of new assistant coaches.
New York is projected to use the second overall pick in the 2026 draft to select Arvell Reese, a linebacker from Ohio State. That's according to the ESPN mock draft. The Jets had a rough year on defense in 2025 and failed to post a single interception.
“Reese's explosiveness makes him an option at edge rusher or off-ball linebacker. A high-upside prospect, few blockers are able to match his levels of explosion, and he also has the block deconstruction ability to wreak havoc at the first level of the defense,” ESPN reported.
Dallas currently also holds the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. According to ESPN, the Cowboys are projected to use that selection to pick cornerback Avieon Terrell. Terrell played at Clemson.
“His physical mentality and competitive demeanor are easy to see, and he had one of the better on-field workouts of any corner at the combine,” ESPN wrote.
The NFL Draft starts on April 23. This year's draft is being held in Pittsburgh.
