2026 New York Jets Mock Draft: 7-Round Projection
Draft Capital: 9 picks | Overall Grade: B+ Last Updated: October 26, 2026Overview
New York Jets enter the 2026 NFL Draft with 9 selections. Biggest needs: Quarterback, Linebacker, IDL.
Complete Draft Class:- Round 1 (#6): Darian Mensah, Quarterback, Miami — Grade A
- Round 1 (#13): A'Mauri Washington, Defensive Line, Oregon — Grade A-
- Round 1 (#14): Ellis Robinson IV, Cornerback, Georgia — Grade A-
- Round 2 (#40): Austin Siereveld, Offensive Guard, Ohio State — Grade B
- Round 3 (#71): Jacarrius Peak, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina — Grade B-
- Round 4 (#102): Zach Lutmer, Safety, Iowa — Grade C
- Round 4 (#136): Whit Weeks, Inside Linebacker, LSU — Grade C
- Round 6 (#178): Jacob Ponton, Offensive Tackle, Texas Tech — Grade C-
- Round 6 (#191): Cooper Barkate, Wide Receiver, Miami — Grade C-
Complete Pick-by-Pick Analysis
Pick #6 - New York Jets: Darian Mensah, Quarterback, Miami
Rank: #10 overall | Grade: A Why This Pick:Quarterback sits atop the Jets' needs list, and with two passers already off the board at picks 2 and 3, New York isn't waiting to see if a better option falls. Taking Mensah at six when he's ranked tenth is a reach by four spots, but at a premium position with the board thinning fast, jumping ahead of the next quarterback-needy team is a defensible trade-off even if it costs some value.
The Fit:Mensah's calling card is accuracy and timing, exactly what a rebuilding passing game needs to simplify life for a young offense, and his 15 touchdowns against zero interceptions to open 2026 at Miami show he can play clean when protected. He fits best in a shotgun, rhythm-based scheme with quick game and RPOs, but his 16 fumbles over two seasons, tendency to lock onto his first read, and average arm strength mean the Jets are betting on mechanics and placement translating against NFL pressure rather than inheriting a finished product.
- Strengths: Quick, compact throwing motion with some of the cleanest mechanics in the 2027 class
- Weaknesses: Lacks traditional size and mass for a pocket passer
- NFL Comp: Taller Bryce Young: accuracy, short-area velocity, and a taste for escaping the pocket
Pick #13 - New York Jets: A'Mauri Washington, Defensive Line, Oregon
Rank: #11 overall | Grade: A- Trade: New York Jets acquired this pick from the Dallas Cowboys. Why This Pick:After taking Darian Mensah at pick 6 to address the quarterback need, the Jets pivot to best player available with IDL as their third-ranked need. Washington slid two spots past his No. 11 ranking, which is a modest value given the buzz he carried into the process. Grabbing a top-tier interior defender at 13 who some had going in the 20s is defensible, even if it's not the splashiest answer to linebacker or cornerback.
The Fit:Washington gives the Jets a rare blend of size and twitch at nose tackle, tracked at 20.89 mph with a 36-inch vertical at 330 pounds, and he can line up anywhere from the shaded nose to a seven technique in a 4-3 front. His get-off and ability to cross blockers' faces should let him collapse the pocket and draw double teams, opening things up for the rest of the line. The concerns are real though, as he plays too high, struggles once a lineman gets into his chest, and his production has been thin with 1.5 sacks in 2025 and none through six games in 2026, meaning he projects more as a disruptive run-stuffer early than an instant pass-rush difference maker.
- Strengths: Rare athlete for 330 pounds, tracked at 20.89 mph with a 36 inch vertical
- Weaknesses: Limited pass-rush arsenal and struggles to counter when the first move fails
- NFL Comp: Dontari Poe size with surprising movement
Pick #14 - New York Jets: Ellis Robinson IV, Cornerback, Georgia
Rank: #12 overall | Grade: A- Trade: New York Jets acquired this pick from the Indianapolis Colts. Why This Pick:After already addressing QB and IDL with their first two picks of this draft, the Jets turn to cornerback, their fourth-ranked need, and land a player who slid two spots past his rank of 12. Ellis Robinson IV offers premium ball skills and movement traits at a spot where depth is a real concern, and getting him at 14 after already filling bigger holes is a sensible, if not spectacular, value play.
The Fit:Robinson brings fluid hips, quick recovery speed, and the kind of route recognition that lets him play press-man, off-man, or zone, which suits a defense looking for versatility at corner. He produced four interceptions in 2025 and already has a pick and three pass breakups through six games in 2026, but his thin 180-pound frame gets bullied by bigger receivers and his gambling tendencies led to three touchdowns allowed and a blown coverage against Tennessee. In New York he profiles as a developmental starter who needs strength work before he can hold up consistently on the outside.
- Strengths: Ball skills and route recognition among the best of any college corner per ESPN
- Weaknesses: Thin 180-pound frame and limited play strength
- NFL Comp: Trevon Diggs-style gambling ball hawk
Pick #40 - New York Jets: Austin Siereveld, Offensive Guard, Ohio State
Rank: #48 overall | Grade: B Why This Pick:Interior offensive line sits fifth on the Jets' need list, so this isn't addressing a glaring hole the way their first three picks did, but taking Siereveld at 40 when he's ranked 48 is a modest reach the Jets can justify. After already using picks on a quarterback, a defensive tackle, and a cornerback, grabbing a plug-in interior starter with tackle versatility is a reasonable value-plus-need blend rather than a pure reach for need's sake.
The Fit:Siereveld's calling card is run blocking, and at 6-foot-5, 327 pounds he has the frame to anchor inside right away, kept largely clean of sacks in his charted 2025 sample. Moving him from tackle to guard should actually help him, since it shrinks the space he has to defend and speeds up his reads, which matters given his hands still arrive late against interior counters and stunts. He projects as a plug-in starter at guard for New York with tackle depth as a bonus, even though the raw tag and the missed 2026 tape against Indiana leave some evaluation gaps.
- Strengths: Run blocking is the clear calling card of his profile
- Weaknesses: Arm length could hurt him at tackle per Walter Football
- NFL Comp: College role comp Quenton Nelson
Pick #71 - New York Jets: Jacarrius Peak, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina
Rank: #56 overall | Grade: B- Why This Pick:OT isn't anywhere on the Jets' listed needs, but this is a classic value grab, a player ranked 56th falling to pick 71. With their quarterback, defensive front and secondary needs already addressed through earlier picks (Mensah, Washington, Robinson), the Jets can afford to take the best player on the board and bank developmental tackle depth behind their starters. Letting a Day 2 tackle with Round 1 traits slide this far is hard to pass up, even without an urgent need.
The Fit:Peak brings a pass-protection profile the Jets can work with, three years starting left tackle at NC State with only four sacks allowed, plus the athletic background (shot put, basketball) that shows up in his footwork and length. The concern is power, both in the run game and finishing blocks against speed-to-power rushers, and some evaluators already see him sliding inside to guard. For the Jets he projects as a developmental swing tackle who could eventually compete for a starting job if the strength translates, while giving them insurance given his reported knee injury.
- Strengths: Moves extremely well for his size with quickness and athleticism
- Weaknesses: Questions about play power and finishing
- NFL Comp: Greg Little-type college frame as a lower-end outcome
Pick #102: Zach Lutmer (Safety, Iowa) - Grade C. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #136: Whit Weeks (Inside Linebacker, LSU) - Grade C. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #178: Jacob Ponton (Offensive Tackle, Texas Tech) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #191: Cooper Barkate (Wide Receiver, Miami) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.