Most NFL teams have been sorted into contenders and pretenders heading into Week 12. Contending teams are jockeying for playoff positioning, while the “pretenders” have their eyes firmly fixed on the offseason. It is never too early for ESPN's Matt Miller to talk about the NFL Draft.
Miller released a mock draft for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Wednesday.
The Jets and Titans make a bold trade at the top of Miller's mock draft. Both teams exchange first-round picks, letting the Jets select their quarterback of the future at first overall.
Miller has the Jets picking Indiana's Fernando Mendoza as the best of this year's quarterback class.
“Jets general manager Darren Mougey didn't load up on draft capital by trading away Gardner and Williams to watch teams pick quarterbacks ahead of him,” Miller wrote. “So I had the Jets aggressively move up for Mendoza, a pocket passer with great touch and timing who can carve up a defense with surgical accuracy while providing enough mobility to execute on the move.”
New York goes Mendoza in this scenario over Oregon's Dante Moore and Alabama's Ty Simpson.
It would not be surprising to see the Jets trade up for a quarterback. New York officially benched Justin Fields this week, and backup Tyrod Taylor is not a long-term answer.
Titans gain multiple picks in hypothetical trade with Jets
That all sounds good for the Jets, but what about the Titans?
Tennessee acquires two first-round picks (No. 4 and No. 28) and a 2027 second-round pick in their trade with New York. The Jets wouldn't sweat a trade like that, and the Titans would love some extra ammunition.
The Titans turn those picks into Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson and Tennessee CB Colton Hood.
Titans QB Cam Ward needs a go-to weapon on offense, and Tyson could be that guy. The 6-foot-2 receiver has enough speed to break out huge plays after the catch. He also has the veterical ability to go up and snag passes out of the air.
If this actually happened, both teams would likely come away from the first night of the draft feeling pretty good.
