Jets Predicted To Hit the Lottery, Landing Arguably the Best Player in the 2025 NFL Draft at No. 7 Overall

The New York Jets have turned the page by hiring Aaron Glenn as their new head coach and signing Justin Fields to be their quarterback — at least for now. More importantly, they’ve officially moved on from the Aaron Rodgers era. With a renewed focus on building for the long term, the Jets need all the help they can get.

Luckily, a pair of analysts have the Jets landing one of the best players in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he slips to No. 7, New York could hit the jackpot — and Glenn might be grinning ear to ear.

New York Jets Could Land Blue-Chip Prospect

Last year was a mess for the Jets. A slow start triggered surprise trades, a head coaching change, and a full-on collapse. Chemistry was off all season, with Rodgers playing a big role in the chaos despite barely being on the field.

The dysfunction even affected the defense, which had been a top-five unit the previous two years. In 2024, it dropped to 15th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric, and it showed in their play.

But Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft thinks the Jets could bounce back quickly with the addition of Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter. Widely viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft, Carter slipping to No. 7 would be a dream for New York.

“The Jets would be flying to the podium if this scenario were to unfold. Carter is the No. 2 overall player on my big board and has real game-wrecking potential as a pass rusher. He would inject some real juice into a front and unit that tapered off in 2024.”

Carter’s a true difference-maker. But not everyone expects him to fall that far. In PFSN’s mock draft, the Cleveland Browns take Carter at No. 2 right after missing out on quarterback Cam Ward.

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Instead, the Jets are projected to land Scouting Combine standout Armand Membou, a tackle out of Missouri. With Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses gone, Membou would fill a major need on New York’s offensive line. Ben Rolfe explains why he makes sense.

“Given that [Olu] Fashanu (last year’s first-round pick) played left tackle at times last year, that is the presumed plan for him, so Membou coming in as a right tackle is not a major concern. Membou would head into the NFL with a fantastic résumé in terms of the quality of opposing rushers he faced in college.”

It might not be the flashiest pick, but the Jets’ offensive line needs work. They finished as one of the seven worst units in the league last season, according to PFSN’s OL+ metric.

Adding Membou would give them a reliable, high-upside solution on the right side. And while Glenn can start fixing things on defense, the Jets need all the help they can get up front. Going safe and smart might be the best move New York can make.

Which Needs Should the Jets Address in the 2025 NFL Draft?

According to PFSN’s NFL Team Needs list, the Jets’ top needs after the initial free agency wave are at offensive tackle, defensive tackle, wide receiver, tight end, and quarterback.

Given their need to secure the bookends of their offensive line, the Jets pursuing a player like Membou at No. 7 makes plenty of sense. Other top tackles that could be available include Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks Jr.

Defensive tackle, though, is a fairly deep position in the 2025 NFL Draft, with options like Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon, Darius Alexander, and T.J. Sanders potential options later in the draft.

On offense, though, the Jets have plenty of openings. The team brought in Fields, but he might not be Gang Green’s option under center of the future, and an investment there is certainly on the table. However, the Jets are short on pass-catching depth, meaning a receiver or tight end are also points of emphasis the Glenn-era Jets need to pursue.

Garrett Wilson (101) paced the team in receptions, with Davante Adams (now on the Los Angeles Rams) behind him. Beyond that duo, though, the leaders included Breece Hall, Tyler Conklin (now on the Los Angeles Chargers), and Allen Lazard (who is expected to be moved). The Jets have multiple areas they could address in April’s draft.