3 Darren Mougey draft picks it's time for Jets to give up on

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey appears to have landed two long-term starters in Armand Membou and Mason Taylor as a result of his 2025 NFL Draft haul, but his picks on Day 3 are questionable.

There is a very good chance that none of the four players Mougey picked in the fourth round or later will end up on the 53-man roster at the end of the 2026 season.

It may be time for the Jets to part ways with these three players from Mougey's 2025 class, leaving only backup linebacker Kiko Mauigoa from his haul of Day 3 prospects just a year and a half removed from when they were selected.

3 Darren Mougey NFL Draft picks Jets must give up on

3. EDGE Tyler Baron

It's always quite disheartening when you use a non-insignificant NFL Draft pick on a player who simply is not good enough to play in the NFL and makes that very apparent right out of the gate. Baron is one of those players, even after the Jets traded up in the NFL Draft order to acquire him.

Baron played in just six games last season and recorded nine tackles with no sacks last season, and that came at a time when the Jets were going down to the local YMCA to try to find anyone who could rush the passer. The Jets signed Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai specifically to avoid more Baron snaps.

Baron, who is fighting through an injury, faces exceedingly long odds of making the final roster and being an impact player.

2. WR Arian Smith

Jets fans were skeptical of this pick from the moment it was made, due to many believing the fourth-round pick should have been selected in the sixth or seventh rounds, and he has entirely validated those concerns by failing to make any big plays. Yes, Justin Fields ruined him, but some problems go beyond Fields.

Smith, who caught just seven passes for 52 yards last season, still has not fixed his issue with drops from his college days at Georgia. With new additions like Omar Cooper Jr. and Tim Patrick coming in at the same time as Isaiah Williams' improvement, Smith has fallen even further down the depth chart.

If not for special teams and the investment the team made in him, undrafted rookie Malik McClain could be in for a 53-man roster spot. Will Mougey bite the bullet and part ways with him?

1. SAF Malachi Moore

Truth be told, Moore seemed like Mougey's best Day 3 pick at the time. A four-year contributor in Nick Saban's Alabama defense with premier versatility, Moore proved to be half a nickel corner, half a safety, and not good enough to be an impact playmaker at the professional level due to a lack of elite athleticism.

Moore not beginning the season as a starter is not the concerning part. The issue stems from the fact that Dane Belton has clearly outperformed him, and that Andre Cisco, for all his many faults, ranks ahead of him on the depth chart. Moore isn't even in the picture, which is quite a fall one year after starting most games for New York.

Moore may end up making the 53-man roster due to a lack of better options out there, but this year has all but confirmed that he is not in the team's long-term plans.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow