Jets mock draft lands obvious edge help and a hopeful franchise QB

Now that the NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, we're beginning to get a clearer picture of the incoming class and how the draft order may start to form.

Of course, free agency is a big hurdle to get through first, and team needs will start materializing once the first wave comes and goes, but for the New York Jets, one need remains crystal clear, and they likely won't be able to find the answer they're looking for in free agency.

After trading away Jermaine Johnson, the Jets need an edge, and the best place to find one this offseason is going to be with the No. 2 overall pick.

Jets mock draft lands hopeful stars for the defensive front and new QB

With the Jets' first pick, FanSided's Cody Williams has Ohio State linebacker/edge Arvell Reese heading to New York after an impressive combine showing.

"While the measurement process did raise some questions about Reese, especially with his size at 243 pounds and wanting to be listed as an edge rusher. At the same time, he backed up what we saw on tape in terms of his testing. He's shot out of a cannon and has terrific ability to bend and attack. The Jets and Aaron Glenn could move Reese all around the formation as they attempt to make things right with this roster."

Cody Williams

In Reese, the Jets hopefully get their game-wrecker at edge they've long waited for. The Johnson trade was tough for fans; he was a popular player and teased with tantalizing upside early in his career.

But the fact of the matter is, he and Will McDonald were not a productive duo in 2025. The Jets recorded the second-least amount of sacks across the league, and it was obvious that an addition needed to be made this offseason.

Enter Reese, who isn't a fully polished pass rusher yet, but has the skills and athleticism to develop into a player the Jets desperately need.

With the Jets' second first-round pick, Williams has Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks coming off the board at No. 16.

"After trading Quinnen Williams at the deadline last season, the Jets need to reinvest in the defensive front. Reese is already in tow in this mock draft, and now they add Caleb Banks to the mix. While he played in only three games in 2025 due to injury (and didn't look 100 percent in those games), he showed at the Combine why he's so coveted. He's a rare athlete for his size, and could be the force to insert on the Jets interior to get them to start cooking again."

Cody Williams

Even after the T'Vondre Sweat trade, the Jets could still use some more beef on the interior of their defensive line. Jowon Briggs is coming along as a solid player, but Harrison Phillips isn't getting any younger, and New York needs to start planning the long-term future at the position.

Banks' athleticism could provide the Jets with the interior pass rush juice they lost after trading away Quinnen Williams, and the partnership of him and Reese could be the new star power on defense that they lost at last season's trade deadline.

Moving onto the second round, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson makes it all the way to pick No. 33, where the Jets find their hopeful signal caller of the future.

Taking Simpson is little risk and high reward. If he develops into the franchise guy that the Jets have been desperately searching for, they get him on a cheap contract for four seasons and can build out a real roster around him.

If he doesn't, a former second-round pick won't prevent the Jets from attacking the quarterback position again in 2027, when they have three total first-round picks. If Simpson is the guy, fantastic. If not, you try the next draft.

Finally, with the No. 44 pick the Jets received in trade with the Dallas Cowboys lands Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood.

New York only has one starter penciled in at cornerback heading into 2026, free agent acquisition Brandon Stephens. Across from him is a little less obvious.

2025 third-round pick Azareye'h Thomas showed flashes last season, but went down with a season-ending shoulder injury late in the year. The extent of his injury is unknown, and in the worst-case scenario that it impacts throughout training camp, the Jets could certainly use another cornerback as insurance.

Enter Hood, an underrated prospect who has the opportunity to start right away for New York's questionable secondary.