The New York Jets had a disastrous season in the first year under general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. With Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams out the door, they have a lot of holes to fill. The Jets have the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, and the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator has them leaning toward defense.
The Jets have an extra first-round pick from the Gardner trade and an extra second-rounder from the Williams trade. Despite their lack of answers at quarterback, they won't take a signal-caller early in the draft. Dante Moore going back to Oregon crushed their hopes of taking a quarterback second overall.
Who do the Jets take in this PFF mock draft simulation of April's NFL Draft?
Jets go all defense in the first round, starting with Caleb Downs
With the second overall pick in this mock draft simulation, the Jets select safety Caleb Downs out of Ohio State University. Downs is seen as a surefire top-five selection in this class after an elite college season. Downs transferred from Alabama to Ohio State after his freshman season, becoming a key player on the Buckeyes' 2024 championship team. He is a two-time All-American and finished ninth in Heisman voting this season.
The Jets have the 16th overall pick, thanks to the Indianapolis Colts brutal end of the season. There, the simulator hands them Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks. He played just three games in 2025 thanks to a foot injury, but he does fit one of New York's many needs. With two edge rushers going immediately before this pick, New York clogs up the middle with Banks.
After trading a corner and a defensive lineman mid-season, the Jets take a safety and a d-lineman in this simulation. They need talent at every position, and they took two talented players in this simulation.
Two more picks in the 2nd Round
The Jets have the first pick in the second round, where PFF gives them Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. Even after spending first-round picks on tackles in each of the last two seasons, New York beefs up the line here. Armand Membou had a tremendous rookie season, while Olu Fashanu has been strong on the right. If one of those three players could kick to guard, this is a great pick. If not, 33rd overall is very high for a rotational tackle.
Back to defense at 44th overall, as the Jets take Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday. Both Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams had rough seasons at linebacker, leading to poor play from the entire defense. Getting a talented player with their fourth pick is a strong move. Golday started his college career at FCS Central Arkansas and became a two-year starter at Cincinnati. Now, he is a simulated New York Jet.
The Jets take a lottery ticket in the 4th Round
The Jets do not have a third-round pick, which went to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Hassan Reddick trade. So moving onto the fourth round, New York takes a gamble at the most important position. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik is the pick at 103rd overall.
Klubnik had first-round projections coming into the 2025 season, but then threw for less than 3,000 yards with only 16 touchdowns in 12 games. With the horrid history of Jets quarterbacks, they may as well take a low-risk bet on finding the right guy.
More defense in the 5th Round
The Jets have two picks in the fifth round, which are both compensatory picks. At 175th overall, they take Oregon cornerback Jadon Canady, who spent five years in college across three schools. With Gardner gone and DJ Reed leaving for the Detroit Lions before the 2025 season, the Jets desperately need cornerback depth. Taking someone who played at the highest college levels this late is a strong pick.
The Jets are back on the clock at 178th overall, where they take Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis. In his last two years as a starter for the Panthers, Louis racked up 10 sacks and six interceptions at linebacker. With their well-documented linebacker issues a year ago, someone who can both rush the quarterback and pick him off is a solid bet.
Aaron Glenn keeps boosting the defense
At some point, the offense needs help, too. But the PFF mock draft simulator has them picking nearly all offensive players in the NFL Draft. In the sixth round, the simulator gives them USC cornerback DJ Harvey at 193rd, Michigan DL Rayshaun Benny at 207th, and Southern Miss CB Josh Moten at 211.
At this point in the NFL Draft, every team is looking for the diamond in the rough. Considering the lack of existing talent on defense, the Jets are more likely to find that hidden star on that side of the ball.
Two more corners to finish it out
The Jets take Texas A&M cornerback Tyreek Chappell at 218th overall and California cornerback Daniel Harris at 242nd overall. There is no doubt what the PFF mock draft simulator thinks about Aaron Glenn's defense. After trading Gardner, they are certainly going to draft at least one corner, but taking five of them feels like overkill.
Finding a cornerback with the second-round pick and then taking multiple offensive linemen later in the draft would be a better process for the Jets. Which direction will they go in the NFL Draft?
