A franchise QB wasn’t an option, so what about everything else? The New York Jets had an A+ draft, being aggressive and nailing nearly everything.
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We saw many twists and turns during the 2026 NFL Draft, particularly at the beginning. Most of the excitement began after the New York Jets made their selection though, as they went essentially chalk by taking edge David Bailey. You can’t argue with chalk in the top five, because its chalk for a reason.
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The Bailey pick will be something fans monitor for years to come, mainly because its interesting. They will constantly be comparing his career to that of the ‘other’ edge New York could have selected second overall: Arvell Reese. We’ll get into Reese for the Giants next week. For now, we aim our weapon of words on the Jets and the totality of their NFL Draft.
New York Jets A+ NFL Draft
What More Could You Ask For?
Todd Salem: After taking Bailey, the Jets saw the second-best quarterback prospect get snatched three picks ahead of them and settled for the best tight end in the draft, Kenyon Sadiq. It seems weird that NY took Sadiq just a year after spending high draft capital on tight end Mason Taylor, but if you think of them as simply pass-catchers, it makes more sense. They can both line up outside, can be on the field together, and Sadiq especially is an amazing athlete.
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After Sadiq, the Jets traded up slightly, gave themselves one more pick in the first round, and took wide receiver Omar Cooper. All told, it was a pretty great day one of the draft. Cooper and Sadiq greatly aid the depleted offense, regardless of where they specifically line up on the field in any given formation. And Bailey could turn out to be the best defensive player in this draft.
On days two and three, NY focused on less heralded positions but filled areas of need: corner D’Angelo Ponds in round two, DT Darrell Jackson Jr., OG Anez Cooper, and S VJ Payne on day three. They also snuck in a selection of quarterback Cade Klubnik in round four. Fourth-round QBs don’t become starters, but for a nearly barren QB room, adding anyone with upside seems worth the draft price at this point. Obviously, the team is focused on 2027 for that franchise passer, but let’s see what Klubnik can do; maybe he’s a quality backup and valuable piece in that regard.
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How do you think the Jets did with the draft overall? We have to take the franchise QB piece out of it. There just wasn’t one to take. Unless they grabbed Ty Simpson at second overall, which would have been insane, there just wasn’t the opportunity or player for them in his draft. We knew that coming in.
We also knew they needed to add pass catchers, which they did splendidly. They added a starter and depth to the defensive line, depth to the offensive line, and perhaps a starter and depth to the secondary. They probably could have used another linebacker, but they ran out of selections.
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I don’t think any pick was a mistake; the Sadiq one could be quibbled with just because he’s labeled as a tight end. It feels like a pretty great draft to me, though all eyes will be on the ’27 QB class regardless of how this group develops.
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A+ Draft for the New York Jets
Dan Salem: New York did a great job and I know this from how they drafted each player, not just the players themselves. The Jets used a new method for evaluating their draft talent and it seems to have paid off in a huge way. They traded up to select nearly half of their players. New York had a value identified for each rookie and made moves when the value was right. Is there a better way to execute your draft? No.
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I’m a Geno Smith fan and he played his best football when surrounded by playmakers in Seattle. No duh. Now the Jets have surrounded him with playmakers and both Sadiq and Cooper will be starters week one. That is huge! They also drafted a QB to develop behind him, which I believe is equally important. Many people believe a 4th round QB is a wasted pick because most aren’t starter material. I disagree. It’s the perfect time to take a flyer and develop in house talent. Plus, Klubnik knows he has a lot to prove and seems to be a workaholic at football according to those who’ve coached him. He’s in the ideal situation to actually grow, which is rare for a Jets QB.
Defense is where the team needed to do a lot of work, even after spending heavily in free agency on that unit. They did just that, which is awesome. Bailey is a slamdunk and each subsequent defensive pick adds depth and a potential starter to a team in need of both. I’m feeling very good about the team’s upcoming defensive turnaround this season.
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It’s hard to mess things up completely when you have so many high draft picks, but playing it safe is one way to do it. The New York Jets were aggressive. They made multiple trades, went after the players they loved, and came away significantly better than when they started. New York had an excellent draft.
Meet our Sports Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
New York Jets NFL Draft Recap – This Is The End
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