A disappointing 3-14 record capped the New York Jets’ 2025 campaign, leaving them last in the AFC East and out of the playoffs. Many fans and former players now insist on shifting focus squarely to the 2027 NFL Draft, placing little importance on the upcoming regular season.
The New York Jets Are Advised To Prioritize The 2027 Draft To Secure Dante Moore
Former quarterback Boomer Esiason, via the Dan Patrick Show, asserted that New York must avoid focusing on winning games in 2026 if it wants to maximize its chances of drafting Oregon QB Dante Moore, who is already drawing significant attention from several NFL franchises for his standout college football performance.
In a major recent development, Moore has chosen to return for another season at Oregon instead of declaring for the upcoming draft, which delays his eligibility until 2027. As a result, there is growing speculation that New York might deprioritize competitiveness in 2026 to improve their draft position for Moore.
“Remember, next year’s quarterback class could include Arch Manning, and it’s probably will include Dante Moore and a few other guys. So, maybe they’ll be in a better situation to draft one of go those guys next year. Meaning that I don’t think you want to go out there and try to win six or seven games.”, said Esiason.
“I mean, if real realistically you look at it, if you got you want one of those young quarterbacks that is going to change your franchise like Jackson Dart is doing here for the Giants, you’re going to have another bad year next year to be at the top of that draft to be able to select that guy.”
This strategic approach is necessary. Only Fernando Mendoza stands out among the next draft QBs and is expected to land with the Raiders. Ty Simpson lacks both experience and Moore’s decisive finish. Even if uninterested in Moore, his presence in the 2026 draft could provide the Jets with an opportunity to trade for a more favorable pick with teams like the Cardinals or Browns.
This Scenario Sharply Exposes New York’s QB Predicament
Betting on Simpson, who ranks No. 25 in the PFSN CFB QB Impact metric with a B grade, contradicts NFL history: college QBs with 15 starts rarely exceed 20 league games, as seen with Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, and Mitchell Trubisky.
Simpson started the 2025 college season strongly, compiling 2,787 yards, 22 touchdowns, and two interceptions along with two rushing touchdowns over his first ten games. However, in his final five games, his performance declined, throwing for only 3 touchdowns to 3 interceptions and completing just 58.5% of his passes.
The most concerning game for the Jets was Simpson’s performance in the conference championship against Georgia, where he completed 19 of 39 passes for 212 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. In the College Football Playoff against Indiana, he was accurate (12 completions on 16 attempts) but managed only 67 passing yards and failed to throw a touchdown.
