ESPN's latest Jets 2026 NFL Mock Draft would bring in 4 instant Week 1 starters

The New York Jets will have more influence over the 2026 NFL Draft than any other team, as they have four picks in the top 44 selections at their disposal. Even though it seems more likely than ever that Ohio State pass rusher Arvell Reese is the favorite to be selected at No. 2 overall, picks 16, 33, and 44 are wide open.

Rather than implying the Jets will take a quarterback plunge and select Alabama's Ty Simpson with the No. 16 overall pick, ESPN's Jordan Reid has them adding two blue-chip talents.

Reid kept in line with many other pre-draft predictors by having the Jets select Reese at No. 2 overall in his 2026 NFL Mock Draft. However, he also helped the Jets acquire USC wide receiver Makai Lemon by way of a trade with the Dallas Cowboys that landed them the No. 12 overall pick.

Reid decided that the second round was the best place for New York to improve their secondary, selecting South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse at No. 33 overall and LSU safety A.J. Haulcy at No. 44 overall. In just one fell swoop, the Jets have landed four players who could be immediate Week 1 starters next season.

ESPN predicts Jets will land Arvell Reese, Makai Lemon in 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Reese and teammate Sonny Styles may have had the best Combine performances of any individual players, as the former's 4.47 40-yard dash on top of his incredibly strong frame may have put him in the pole position for the No. 2 overall pick. It's not a lock, but it may be trending in Reese's direction.

Lemon has been taking a battering on social media in the last few days due to some unusual behavior during his interviews, but based purely on what fans can see on the field, the Jets should still consider a trade up. He could be a perfect slot receiver alongside Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell.

Cisse has played both outside and nickel cornerback in college. If he is shifted inside full-time to nickel, which will let Azareye'h Thomas develop on the outside, his top-shelf athletic ability could be one of the biggest pieces in Aaron Glenn finally getting his secondary remade in his image.

Haulcy is a bigger safety that hits like a truck and has shown enough ball skill to challenge for a Day 1 starting role. While Oregon's Dillon Thieneman and Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren may be off the board when pick No. 44 rolls around, Haulcy is more than just a consolation prize.