The New York Jets own the second and 16th overall selections in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Most mock drafts have Jets general manager Darren Mougey doubling down on defense. That's not what Daniel Jeremiah did in his latest mock draft. The NFL Network analyst got a little more creative.
Jeremiah has the Jets taking Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey at No. 2 overall. The general consensus is the Jets will pick the best defensive player with the second pick, debating between Bailey, Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and Rueben Bain Jr. Jeremiah goes with Bailey here.
"The Jets have their pick of the draft’s finest edge rushers here," Jeremiah wrote. "Bailey’s combination of explosiveness and production is the best of the bunch."
Mock Draft 2.0https://t.co/eZJr4NkSH9
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 17, 2026
Many then expect the Jets to draft a quarterback or another defender with the 16th selection. A defensive tackle to replace Quinnen Williams has been a popular choice, as has Alabama QB Ty Simpson. Jeremiah has the Jets going with an offensive player in Penn State interior offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane.
"I know quarterback is a huge need for the Jets, but I don’t see a QB worthy of the 16th overall pick this year," Jeremiah continued. "So, they can take the best player available here. I view Ioane as the best offensive lineman in the draft. He can fill the void with the injury-plagued Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson headed for free agency."
Jeremiah raises an intriguing point. The Jets could enter the market for a new starting guard and Ioane is widely considered to be one of the safest overall prospects in the draft as the top-ranked guard.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets get creative in Daniel Jeremiah's latest 2026 NFL mock draft