Peter Schrager's NFL mock draft has Jets spurning popular picks at No. 2, No. 16

The New York Jets may be locked in on Ohio State dynamo Arvell Reese at No. 2 overall and in line to take the best player available at No. 16 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that future becoming reality is the furthest thing from a locked-in certainty at this point.

If the Jets choose to let Reese go somewhere else, it could lead to a domino effect that changes the entire Draft. That future may yet come to pass, and some mock drafters out there are planning for Darren Mougey to zig when everyone expects him to zag.

ESPN's Peter Schrager, who has become known for his accuracy with his seldom-written mock drafts, has the Jets choosing Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey over Reese (who went No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals). At No. 16, the Jets are adding yet another playmaker, this time on offense.

Schrager thinks the Jets could use the No. 16 pick on Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. While the Jets would fill holes on both sides of the ball, some fans may not like the value of both Bailey and Cooper together.

Peter Schrager has Jets taking David Bailey, Omar Cooper Jr. in NFL Mock Draft

Picking Bailey would be a sharp change from the last few weeks of Draft momentum, as the Jets have often been linked to Reese to the point where it appears more likely than not he will be the pick. However, that shouldn't be taken as any sort of locked-in truth just yet.

Glenn is asking himself the age-old NFL Draft question that will never go away. Would his team be better off picking the finished product in someone with Bailey's tantalizing blend of pass rush moves and high floor, or the upside gamble in a premier athlete still getting better like Reese?

Cooper might seem like a reach at No. 16 to some, but if the big three of Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, and Jordyn Tyson are gone, the Jets may be forced to take him. Cooper appears to be emerging as WR4 in this draft over competitors like Denzel Boston or KC Concepcion.

Even though these may not be the players Jets fans would get most excited about, picking Bailey and Cooper would be one heck of a way for Mougey to both address some of the team's biggest needs while keeping picks No. 33 and No. 44 intact to be used later.