The New York Jets were one of the winners from the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. Due to their midseason trades in 2025, the Jets were able to make three of the 32 first-round picks, and their roster improved massively. Still, none of the selected players were quarterbacks, and we’ll explain why.
Jets Pass on 2026 Quarterbacks in First Round Due to Weak Class
The 2026 quarterback class is widely considered one of the worst in recent memory. Apart from Fernando Mendoza, the obvious first-overall pick, no other quarterback was a certainty to hear his name called in the first round. Ty Simpson, from Alabama, was also taken on Thursday.
Simpson was taken by the Rams, who have Matthew Stafford as their franchise quarterback. The franchise plans to have him as Stafford’s backup, as he learns how to operate in the pros and Stafford finishes his career. The drop in quality after the two passers was huge, and for all the other teams, it made sense not to reach for a passer.
The Jets made smart moves with their picks. They selected David Bailey, considered one of the stars of the class, with the second overall pick. Later, they boosted the offense with the additions of Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper, giving Garrett Wilson some much-needed help in the pass-catching group.
Skipping a quarterback in the first round doesn’t mean that the Jets won’t take one in the next two days. New York made a smart use of its resources to start the draft, but later picks could take a flier on one of the other options who might have the intangibles to play in the NFL but will need extra development.
So, how does the Jets’ QB depth look?
New York made a move for a signal-caller during the offseason. Geno Smith returned to the franchise that drafted him back in 2013 through a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Smith is the presumed starter, but he’ll have to play much better in 2026: he was ranked as No. 34 in our PFSN QB Impact Metric, with a poor 68.6 grade.
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According to the PFSN’s NFL Draft HQ, the best remaining quarterback available is Garrett Nussmeier, who’s projected to be a third-round pick. He’s ranked as the No. 169 in our big board, but he’s expected to be selected much earlier than this due to positional value.
The Jets can be patient. They know the 2027 class is expected to be much stronger, with names like Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and Julian Sayin early favorites to be first-round picks. New York won’t be successful after one year, but with the right moves, it might finally get back on track.
