Aside from a few shrewd trades to build their draft capital, the first year under head coach Aaron Glenn wasn’t a startling success for the New York Jets.
Now, they have a new placeholder quarterback at the helm in Geno Smith, and one analyst believes he could use all the help he can get. As a result, Makai Lemon might be a name worth considering for the organization.
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Given the state of the franchise and the roster as a whole, it was immediately clear that it would take more than one season for the Jets to completely turn over a new leaf. 2025 marked a spark in that direction.
While the roster still needs a lot of tweaking, the team now has a bunch of draft picks that it can use to find the right pieces to elevate the roster. Unfortunately, its biggest need still remains a permanent solution at quarterback.
With the 2026 draft class not rife with talent at the most important position in the sport, New York instead chose to hitch its wagon to Smith. Despite a disastrous campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, the hope has to be that he can provide the team with some stability.
However, that isn’t a war he can wage by his lonesome. After the Jets ranked No. 29 on PFSN’s Offense Impact, that side of the football needs a complete makeover. The switch from Justin Fields to the two-time Pro Bowler should give them a jump.
But it isn’t going to be enough to make the unit a net positive for the Jets. As a result, TJ Randall of PFSN, in his latest mock draft for 2026, believes the team needs to add Lemon to its wide receiver corps.
After the team brought back Breece Hall, the wideout position needs more help. Outside of Garrett Wilson, the Jets don’t have a reliable second option, and Wilson only managed 395 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 7 games last season.
“It’s unnecessary to disrupt what I had the Jets doing back in January by adding the crafty Lemon to assist (potentially) Geno Smith this year and their eventual quarterback of the future.”
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Coming out of USC, he truly came into his own in his final season with the team. Tallying 1,156 yards on 14.6 yards per catch, he added 13 total touchdowns for the Trojans and immediately proved himself as a force to be reckoned with on the field.
Ranked as the third-best wide receiver prospect in the class by PFSN, he could become a building block for the Jets as they navigate the franchise toward stability.
