B-
New York Jets
A solid, sensible weekend for the Jets: B-.
by 0987 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 3 reaches
The curious call sets the tone. With quarterback, edge rusher and other spots still glaring, the Jets used No. 44 on Anthony Hill Jr., a linebacker they were not exactly short of.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through quarterback. Every board in the league had Caldwell lower, and that gap is the story.
Job largely done: cornerback settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered. Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 2 they get a three-down second-level presence. More want than need.
In pick 16 they get a plug-and-play piece up front at fair value. A real need, handled.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Chris Johnson. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Anthony Hill Jr. adds a linebacker and leaves quarterback, edge rusher and other spots untouched.
They paid sticker price for Ja'Kobi Lane in Round 4, Pick 3, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Oscar Delp in the Round 4 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A premium they did not need to pay, Jeff Caldwell a notch or two before his time. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They liked Aiden Fisher enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 228. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Jalen Huskey at pick No. 242 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.