Early returns for Darren Mougey's 2026 NFL Draft class show clear improvement

After a few weeks in which New York Jets fans started to question the resume of general manager Darren Mougey following a sluggish start to the 2026 season, breakout performances from some of his prized picks in the most recent NFL Draft have quieted that noise. In Week 6 against the New England Patriots, Omar Cooper Jr. had his time in the spotlight.

In what was essentially his first career game after getting hurt on his first drive in Week 1, Cooper caught six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, all while getting an earlier touchdown wiped off the board for what can be charitably called a questionable penalty. Cooper looked as dynamic and fearless as he was at Indiana.

With No. 2 pick David Bailey starting to come into his own as a pass rusher, Kenyon Sadiq showing flashes of a future stud tight end in the making, and Cooper looking like an immediate impact player right out of the gate, Mougey's vision for these youngsters is starting to come to fruition.

Omar Cooper Jr. breakout game highlights solid returns on Jets' 2026 NFL Draft

Cooper's best traits as a player in college were his ability to separate downfield and run hard after the catch, and he put both of those traits on display. Even facing a defense that lacked Carlton Davis, he had a few wins against the mighty Christian Gonzalez. Imagine Cooper when everyone is healthy.

The Jets have played just six snaps when every big-name skill-position player on offense is available. When Cooper and Adonai Mitchell can work in tandem, everything could be totally different for this offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bailey seemed to be settling into a comfort zone, even after a down pass-rushing game against the Patriots.

Since 1994, when tackles became an official stat, Bailey is the only player with five sacks, 30 tackles, and a forced fumble through his first six games. Bailey and Chandler Jones (who has 112 sacks and was an All-Pro twice in his 11-year career) are the only rookies to have three sacks, three or more forced fumbles, and six QB hits through six games.

He's also been held (at least in the eyes of officials) four times this season, the most of any pass rusher in the league.

New York Jets GM Darren Mougey is learning from his mistakes

Mougey's 2025 class hasn't aged amazingly well, even with first-round offensive tackle Armand Membou looking like a grand slam and third-round cornerback Azareye'h Thomas developing into a quality starter. Mason Taylor is no longer viewed as the long-term TE1 thanks to Sadiq, and none of his Day 3 selections are playing roles on this team.

2026 is far from an all-time class. Second-round cornerback D'Angelo Ponds has barely gotten on the field, and the results have been alarming when he has lined up in the slot. Three of the team's four Day 3 picks (Cade Klubnik, Anez Cooper, VJ Payne) have combined for zero snaps, with the latter two having been injured for the entire season.

Even with those concerns, Mougey appears to have landed a few long-term contributors.

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