The New York Jets Have 7 Picks In the First Two Rounds of 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts
The Jets traded two of their best players to secure a bounty in the next two drafts. They traded Cornerback Sauce Gardiner to the Indianapolis Colts. Then, the Jets traded Defensive Lineman Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. The other good player the Jets have is Wide Receiver Garrett Wilson.
These were bold moves that virtually guaranteed a 15th consecutive non-playoff season. That is the most in professional sports. For the first time in a long time, given the Jets’ bountiful upcoming draft picks, there is hope for the moribund franchise. However, fans of the team expect bad things to happen. Do the Jets have the correct strategy?
Jets Bounty Of Draft Picks In 2026 and 2027
By virtue of trading away two of its top three current papers, leveraging their present, the Jets have seven picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts. It gets even better for the team. Since they are terrible now, and forecast to not get any better, the picks that are there own will be high picks. The team needs several players, so it is a good thing the team will have so many high draft picks.
NY has the Dallas Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2026 and their first-round draft pick in 2027. They also have the Colts’ picks over the next two seasons. The Colts are good, but their quarterback, Daniel Jones, got hurt and is out for the season. He was playing well, so it is possible the Colts will not win another game this season. That would be good for the Jets.
The Jets need a quarterback and many skill players. It is believed they will use their high draft picks soon. However, that person needs to be surrounded by talented players. So, it would not be good for the Jets to package a group of those picks to move higher. Plenty of great quarterbacks have been drafted in the late first round and the later rounds. The team should use the draft picks they have to select a bounty of skilled players. One good thing the Jets have is young offensive tackles.
How Will the Jets Screw This Up?
Fans of the team are used to losing at this point. The team has failed to make the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons. They also have nine consecutive losing seasons. Their futility is legendary. Their problems have spanned multiple head coaches and hundreds of players. The problems with the team that have resulted in all of these bad seasons have to do with their management. Therefore, they may squander this bounty of draft resources, at least that is what long-suffering fans fear.
Being a fan of the team is a sick religion; fans expect failure. Therefore, most of them believe that all these draft picks will be squandered. The draft picks seem to align well with the many needs of the team, but the team has a history of drafting players who prove to be a bust, and this could prove to be a nightmare for the team.
The New York Jets have faced criticism for their draft picks in recent years, with several players being labeled as “draft busts.” The Jets have missed significant opportunities, leading to a poor draft record over the years. Notable examples include:
Quarterback Zach Wilson: The 2021 No. 2 overall pick, who is statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in modern NFL history.
Linebacker Vernon Gholston: The sixth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, who failed to record a single sack in his entire NFL career.
Wide Receiver Elijah Moore: The 2021 No. 2 pick, who was quickly traded to Cleveland.
Tight End Jeremy Ruckert: The 2022 No. 2 pick, who was one of the worst blockers at the position and had a poor performance over his three-year run.
Safety Jamal Adams: The 2017 No. 1 pick, who was overshadowed by the Jets’ consistent losing and quickly regressed into a shell of his former self. He was subsequently traded away.
Conclusion
These draft examples highlight the challenges faced by the Jets in selecting players who can perform at the highest level in the National Football League. The Jets’ draft history serves as a cautionary tale for teams considering their own draft decisions, and is the reason fans of the team are not optimistic about their upcoming bounty.
