Jets 2026 NFL Draft Report Card: Grading Gang Green's picks

The Jets wanted immediate contributors in the NFL Draft. They found them. David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. should all have roles in Week 1, if not starting. 

This was another major step in Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey reshaping the Jets roster. 

How’d they do?

Here’s the breakdown...

Pick No. 2: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech

Bailey was the safest route the Jets could have gone at No. 2. He walks into the building as the team’s best pass rusher and there is a very real chance he’s a double-digit sack guy throughout the majority of his career. The Jets desperately need playmakers. They got a big one here. 

There’s one reason this grade isn’t an A: Bailey, talking to multiple defensive coaches who scouted him extensively, does not play the run. There are concerns on whether he’ll ever be someone who can do that effectively. You need to protect him. 

That’s not always an issue … except the Jets already have a player just like that in McDonald. His snap counts plummeted the second half of last season because he was such a liability against the run and the Jets seldom had leads to let him pin his ears back and attack. 

It’s hard to foresee a situation where the Jets get Bailey and McDonald (whom they will pick up the fifth-year option on) on the field together on first or second down. Teams will just abuse stretch runs. 

Granted, if Bailey is as dominant of a pass rusher as some believe, his ineffectiveness against the run won’t matter. It just seems like he was more of a risk as compared to Reese, who while developmental, can do much more. 

Grade: B

Pick No. 16: TE Keyon Sadiq, Oregon

The Jets believed there was a gap between receivers Carnell Tate (Titans), Jordyn Tyson (Saints) and the rest of the wideouts. That doesn't mean they won't add one later, but the value didn't match the 16th pick.

So, they got creative.

Get athletes on the field and let them feast. That's clearly the goal. Sadiq might be the most athletic player in this year's draft. Few that size (6-3, 241) run that fast (4.39 40-yard dash) and jump that high (43.5-inch vertical). The problem: Most analysts had a late first, second round grade on Sadiq. He's far from a polished player.

It will take time to develop Sadiq. The Jets might have a star on their hands if they do it correctly. 

Grade: C+

Pick No. 30: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

The Jets could have waited to see if Cooper fell to them with the first pick in the second round. It wasn't worth the risk. They parted with the 33rd pick, added in No. 179, and moved up to select the versatile wideout.

Cooper is primarily a slot wideout -- he played there almost exclusively in 2025. That's fine for the Jets. AD Mitchell is your prototypical, big-bodied wideout. Garrett Wilson, who does have inside flexibility, prefers to play outside. Now you give Geno Smith an impressive trio of pass catches, and a nice stable of tight ends (Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor), to work with.

It's clear the Jets want to find their franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft. Their focus now is creating as ideal a situation for that young quarterback to find himself in. They're well on their way to doing that. 

Grade: A

Pick No. 50: CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana

There's top-15 talent with Ponds. He's physical. Good in both man and zone. Can press. Really impressive ball skills. There's very little the corner can't do.

Ponds was there for the Jets with the 50th pick because he's 5-8 and 182pounds. That scares teams off.

Aaron Glenn, who enjoyed a very successful NFL career, was a 5-9. 185-pound corner. Height means very little to him. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise me made Ponds the Jets' pick.

The Jets addressed the safety position leading into the draft, signing Dane Belton and trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick. They needed corners. They haven't yet replaced Sauce Gardner, and return just Brandon Stephens, AZ Thomas and Jarvis Brownlee.

Ponds will enter the room and instantly compete for a starting job.

Added benefit of the selection: The Jets moved back to get him. The Jets picked up an extra fourth-round pick (No. 128) to move from No. 44 to No. 50. 

Grade: A

Pick No. 103: NT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State

The Jets beefed up the interior of the defense in a big way on Day 3 of the draft. Jackson is 6-5, 315 pounds. Speaking to sources across the NFL, Jackson’s length makes him one of the better pass-rushing nose tackles in this year’s draft. Evident by his three sacks in 2022, and 3.5 in 2024.

“He has all the tools and traits to be a good defensive tackle,” one line coach told SNY.

Here’s the downside to Jackson, and why he slipped to the fourth: There are some maturity concerns. He had a so-so performance at the East-West Shrine Game and really struggled at his pro day. The hope those small issues rectify themselves with NFL coaching. 

Grade: B

Pick No. 110 : QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson

There’s a wealth of experience with Klubnik. The former No. 1 high school quarterback in the nation attempted 1,332 passes the last three years. He was solid his final year at Clemson: 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 65.6 completion percentage.

Klubnik plays within rhythm, avoids turnovers, is smart and resilient. He’s a “white board warrior,” one coach said. He’ll diagnose defenses, help game plan and figure out aspects of an offense others just don’t see.

The problem is that, while athletic, he’s not overly impressive physically. He’s 6-2, 207 pounds with a below-average arm. One team SNY touched base with had an undrafted grade on him. Another had a “sixth or seventh round” evaluation.

“I could see him, maybe, being a serviceable backup some day,” an offensive coordinator said. “With us, he’d maybe compete to be our third-string guy.”

The Jets traded up with the Bengals to get Klubnik (two fourths, getting back a sixth), which is a bit puzzling and why this grade is what it is. 

Grade: D

Pick No. 188: G Anez Cooper, Miami

Francis Mauigoa’s running mate on Miami’s offensive line, Cooper is a big dude. He’s 6-5, 334 pounds. One NFL talent evaluator pointed toward his “size and length” as his biggest strength.

The issue with Cooper is that he’s not a tremendous athlete; that’s why he fell to the sixth round. He’s a far better pass blocker than run, too. ProFootballFocus didn’t credit him with a single sack in 817 offensive snaps.  

Grade: B

Pick No. 228: S VJ Payne, Kansas State

This was a great value find for the Jets. Some teams SNY touched base with had a fourth-round grade on the senior. Payne is quite the athlete, having run a 4.4 40-yard dash and jumped a 35-inch vertical at the NFL Combine.

Payne is long and rangy, with the ability to play both man and zone. He had 40 tackles and an interception last year. 

Grade: A