Jets slip down the NFL Draft order as Week 11 results shake up standings

The New York Jets entered Week 11 clinging to the small silver lining that comes with a lost season, and that is draft positioning. At 2–8 and with Justin Fields continuing to prove he’s not the long-term answer at quarterback, the Jets are fast approaching the portion of the calendar where the draft becomes the storyline.

In fact, they're already there.

Their offseason priority is already clear — they need a quarterback — and where they land in the draft order will determine whether they’re within range to select one of the class’s top prospects.

Right now, that group appears to be headlined by Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson, and Oregon’s Dante Moore, though the pre-draft process always reshuffles the board.

The Jets briefly rose as high as No. 3 in the draft order after their Thursday night loss to New England, but Sunday’s results quickly pushed them back down. With the Browns and Giants both losing tight games, the Jets slid back down to fifth after Sunday's slate of games.

Where do the Jets stand in the updated 2026 NFL Draft order?

The Jets' Thursday night loss temporarily elevated them into the thick of the top-three conversation, but the Giants’ loss to Green Bay and the Browns’ heartbreaking defeat in Baltimore bumped both teams ahead of them via tiebreakers.

The Jets have the highest strength of schedule (.523) among the 2–8 group, which pushes them to fifth for now, but that could change with matchups against the Saints and Dolphins coming up soon.

The Raiders could still join that mix on Monday night. If Las Vegas loses to Dallas and falls to 2–8, they would remain behind the Jets anyway because of their even stronger SOS (.548). That protects the Jets from slipping further, for now, but it doesn’t get them any closer to the quarterbacks they’re eyeing.

Whether the Jets can remain in realistic range for Mendoza, Simpson, or possibly Moore will depend heavily on how the teams ahead of them approach the offseason.

The Titans at No. 1 aren’t expected to draft a quarterback after selecting Cam Ward. The Giants at No. 2 appear committed to rookie Jaxson Dart. But the Browns (No. 3) are almost certainly drafting a quarterback.

The Saints (No. 4) could go either way depending on how second-round rookie Tyler Shough finishes the season. And the Raiders could easily be in the quarterback market as well. Even the Rams, who hold Atlanta’s No. 8 pick, could enter the mix depending on the uncertain long-term future of Matthew Stafford.

This is the tightrope the Jets now walk. They’re close enough to strike if the board breaks right, but every win by a competitor or unexpected upset elsewhere can change everything. The Jets still face the Saints later this season in a game that could directly impact both teams’ future at quarterback.

The Jets will keep fighting on the field, but many fans' eyes are already drifting toward April. If the Jets are going to reset the franchise at quarterback, every result from here on out matters.