Jets QB draft target has quickly stolen the show at the Senior Bowl

The New York Jets are set to enter another offseason with a question mark at the quarterback position and few viable solutions at their disposal. That likely won't stop the team from taking a swing on a QB at some point during the 2026 NFL Draft, however.

One player who has a chance to climb up draft boards in one of the thinnest quarterback classes in recent memory is LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. Once seen as a potential top pick in the draft, Nussmeier saw his stock fall following a highly disappointing 2025 season that was marred by injury.

But Nussmeier feels like the safest bet of this quarterback class to see his stock rise in the pre-draft process, and he's already kicked things off with a standout performance at Senior Bowl practices this week.

Nussmeier has been one of the stars of Mobile, impressing scouts and analysts in attendance with his toughness, poise, and accuracy. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski recently named him one of the biggest winners of the Senior Bowl this week, and he wasn't alone in that assessment.

Garrett Nussmeier is impressing Jets scouts at the Senior Bowl

Outside of Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, the rest of the 2026 quarterback class is incredibly thin. Dante Moore's decision to return to Oregon for another season has left the rest of the group fighting for position, hoping to separate themselves as the next best option.

Nussmeier once looked like a strong candidate to do just that after a productive junior season at LSU, but his momentum stalled following a disappointing senior year that ended with a benching and a mid-season abdominal injury.

He's still reportedly nursing that injury, and despite not being fully healthy, Nussmeier chose to compete at the Senior Bowl, where he showed poise and command of the offense this week.

While he lacks elite physical traits, Nussmeier has impressed evaluators with his decision-making, accuracy, and comfort operating within structure. He's hoping to remind scouts that his recent statistical dip may have had more to do with LSU’s struggles and his injury than his own ability.

While it seems unlikely at this stage that he leapfrogs Alabama's Ty Simpson for QB2 in this class (although such a possibility can't be entirely ruled out in January), he could very well end up a top-50 pick come April. The Jets are a team that might consider drafting him.

Nussmeier is a little undersized at just 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, but he's one of the few quarterbacks in this class with genuine starting-caliber traits. He's a small gunslinger type without the arm talent of someone like Baker Mayfield, and he already turns 24 years old next week, but there's a lot to like about his tape.

The Jets could look to target Nussmeier with one of their second-round picks at either No. 33 or 44 overall, pairing him with a veteran in the process. He might be a worthwhile QB swing for a Jets regime that is very much on the hot seat entering 2026.

Keep an eye on Nussmeier's stock as we draw closer to the draft — there's a chance he could end up going Day 1 when all is said and done.