B
New York Jets
The Jets left with their quarterback, and a B to match.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The Jets spent the pick that matters most on Ty Simpson, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
That interior defensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. On value alone, Wheatley makes the weekend a net positive.
Every board in the league had Pavia lower, and that gap is the story. Quarterback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a bendy edge with upside. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick 16 they get their guy under center for the next decade, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Denzel Boston. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and CJ Allen at the 44th pick is the proof. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A quiet steal in slot 103: Zakee Wheatley for less than the market said. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A slide stopped in pick No. 140, with Joe Royer worth more than the price. A minor need, but a need all the same.
No edge and no loss on Domani Jackson in Round 5, Pick 39; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Value with a capital V on Chase Roberts in the 228th overall pick, a genuine coup. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Diego Pavia at Round 7, Pick 26 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.