Jets dive back into QB wilderness and land premier prospect in 2027 mock draft

The New York Jets haven't taken a quarterback at the top of the NFL Draft board since he-who-shall-not-be-named was the selection back in 2021. But with Geno Smith under center for the 2026 NFL season, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the Jets will be back in the QB wilderness next year.

Maybe Cade Klubnik has some juice, but that'll only be discovered if Smith really flames out, as he did last campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders. And New York isn't likely to let a second-year Day 3 pick just walk into training camp with the job. The Jets will need to aggressively pursue a signal-caller.

Aaron Glenn's team probably won't be as bad as many people think, but with three first-round picks at their disposal in the 2027 NFL Draft, if the Jets want a quarterback in what is an elite class, they won't have a hard time moving up the board and getting one.

In ESPN's latest mock for next April, they have New York landing Notre Dame's CJ Carr, a premier prospect, with the No. 3 overall pick.

New York Jets select Notre Dame QB CJ Carr in ESPN's 2027 NFL Mock Draft

Now, Oregon's Dante Moore and Texas' Arch Manning are the two biggest names in next year's class, and to many, the two best quarterbacks. But the former spurned the Jets last year by returning to school, and the latter could stay in school or be the No. 1 pick. New York won't be picking that high.

So, "settling" for Carr, who Tom Brady referred to last season as the greatest college quarterback he's seen since Joe Burrow, is quite the consolation prize for Darren Mougey and Co. And it's not difficult to understand why he would be the selection at this juncture.

"The Jets' drafts in the past five years have seen them bring in bookend offensive tackles (Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou), a true WR1 (Garrett Wilson), a franchise RB (Breece Hall) and two talented tight ends (Mason Taylor and Kenyon Sadiq). Seems like an ideal base for a young quarterback to join," wrote ESPN's Jordan Reid. "Carr's sample size is small (12 career starts), but he thrived last season in his first year as a starter. He's a capable passer who can distribute the ball and does a great job of syncing his feet, eyes and throwing motion. Notre Dame is a prime national title contender in 2026, and if Carr excels on that quest, it's easy to see him rise to this spot of the draft."

Why CJ Carr could transform the New York Jets' offense

Since his stellar first season as a starter for the Fighting Irish, Carr has made strides. At the Manning Passing Academy this summer, he drew unbelievable praise, with draft guru Todd McShay saying that he had a Brady/Drew Brees-level performance. That, again, is quite the comparison.

Carr is a traditional pocket passer who can push the ball downfield and would keep this Jets offense balanced and ahead of the sticks, which doesn't sound like much, but that'd easily make him the best quarterback for this franchise in the last decade.

He can make all the throws an NFL signal-caller needs, as Carr can uncork it deep, laser in precise back-shoulder balls, and release with enough velocity to fit the ball in tight windows and get it toward the sideline without putting it in harm's way.

What Carr possesses that a lot of quarterbacks at his stage don't is great feel and anticipation. And he somehow did this in his first year as the starter while largely taking care of the ball and limiting sacks.

Is Carr a perfect prospect? Certainly not. He could stand to add some mass and improve his mobility and off-script production. But he can improve all of that during the 2026 season at Notre Dame and be everything that the Jets are looking for at this time next year.

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