Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets
Getty
New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The New York Jets will be re-entering the quarterback market this offseason.
The good news is the team is armed and dangerous with ample cap space and multiple first-round picks. However, the problem is that there might not be someone worth using those assets on.
“A sobering reality is taking shape with the 2026 NFL Draft class. As recently as a couple of months ago, teams anticipated a stacked crop of quarterbacks — not necessarily rivaling the 2024 draft class but surely better than the 2025 group. But with college quarterbacks underperforming across the board, there are serious concerns about the position, and that is going to reshape teams’ plans for the opening round,” Jeff Howe of The Athletic wrote.
“Nobody is playing the position well enough to be like, ‘That dude can take over my franchise,’” an anonymous NFL team executive told Howe.
“This could be a massive blow to teams like the New York Jets,” Howe responded.
Insider Explains the QB Draft Situation
“This upcoming class in 2026, there are going to be difference-making NFL players, I want to make that very clear, but it’s not this can’t-miss, unbelievably talented class that sometimes we have seen in years past. The 2022 class was loaded with guys like that, the 2020 class was loaded with guys like that — these were just incredibly strong draft classes where you could get into the picks in the mid-20s, and you’re getting players that maybe in some years that would be considered for the top-12 or top-10. It does not appear as though this upcoming class in 2026 is going to be like that. It feels like a little bit more of a down year overall,” PFF’s lead NFL draft analyst Trevor Sikkema explained to me on “Boy Green Daily.”
“From a quarterback standpoint, [the class] feels very strong in 2027,” Sikkema added.
“The more that I think about it, the more I like the idea of the Jets not taking a quarterback in this upcoming draft … I like the idea of going best player available in the early part of the first round and the late part of the first round. I like the idea of all hands on deck, evaluating the 2027 quarterback position,” Sikkema said.
The Jets Are in the Perfect Position to Be in the Conversation for Any Available QB
The green and white have a pair of first-round picks in 2026: their own and the Indianapolis Colts via the Sauce Gardner blockbuster trade.
According to Tankathon, if the 2026 NFL draft started today, the Jets would hold the No. 4 overall pick (their own) and the No. 28 overall pick (the Colts).
No matter what quarterback situation presents itself this year, the Jets are prepared to attack it.
If the right quarterback is available in the draft, the Jets can stand pat and take that player or aggressively trade up to secure him. Perhaps a veteran passer suddenly can be moved for the right price; the Jets can be in that conversation. In free agency, the Jets are a team strapped with cash.
Every door is available for the Jets, now it’s about picking the right one for this team’s present and future.