Jets insider downplays widespread reports of change in draft plans

The buildup to the 2026 NFL Draft has been a long one, as it always is every year, and it provides football fans and analysts with the time to overanalyze every little detail and report that comes out leading into the first round.

For the New York Jets, the No. 2 overall pick has been dissected and digested about a million times over, with it mostly boiling down to the question of who the team will end up picking: Ohio State's Arvell Reese or Texas Tech's David Bailey.

After free agency, Reese felt like the no-brainer choice for the Jets. He made sense for the team's new scheme and filled a major need. But as the weeks have gone by, reports have gravitated more towards Bailey and his perceived high floor.

Well, ESPN's Rich Cimini is tired of the reports suggesting New York totally flipped on their draft plans, and did his best to dispel those rumors.

Rich Cimini says Jets didn't change their 2026 NFL Draft plans amid David Bailey reports

On a recent episode of the Jets Collective podcast, Cimini revealed that the reports surrounding the Jets have more to do with the draft getting closer and sources loosening their lips.

"So the first thing is it’s really not the Jets changing course. I object to that perception. I think what happens is as you get closer to the draft, reporters start having a little bit more access to their sources. Their sources might have a little bit more information to share. That’s what you see stuff coming out closer to the draft"

Rich Cimini

It remains unclear which way the Jets are leaning with roughly a week to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, but either way, the sources are starting to talk. Whether those reports are coming from within the building or not is the question.

The national reporting seems to lean towards Bailey, while the local Jets beat has pointed towards Reese as the more likely candidate.

Regardless, it's a breath of fresh air that New York's building is keeping these rumors in-house. In years past, namely in 2023, it became clear and obvious that the Jets were targeting an offensive lineman with their first-round pick. It caused the Steelers to move up ahead of New York, selecting Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

Now, that ended up working out in the Jets' favor, but it doesn't change the fact that people in the league knew what the team was planning on doing. Right now, it seems like no one has a clear idea of who New York is going to pick with No. 2 overall.

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