Geno Smith Is the Jets' 2026 Starter and Aaron Glenn Just Got a Blank Check at No. 2
The New York Jets are heading into Thursday's draft with veteran Geno Smith locked in as their starting quarterback for 2026, and that decision just completely changes how GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn are approaching their pick at No. 2 overall. This isn't a QB-at-two situation anymore. This is a team ready to reshape its entire roster.
The Jets Have Nine Picks. Watch Them Use Them.
New York just got awarded two compensatory selections in rounds 4 and 5, which means the Jets now have nine total draft picks to work with. Even crazier: they control four of the top 44 choices. That's a war chest. According to the intel floating around the draft community, Mougey and his staff could add the most drafted players since 2021 if they play this right. They're in a legitimately unique position to dramatically alter their roster over the next two drafts.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe Jets will face the AFC West and NFC North in 2026, so whoever they're building with these nine picks better be ready to compete right now. There's no margin for error in that schedule.
Edge, WR, Safety, or CB: The Board Is Wide Open at Two
With Geno Smith handling the QB duties, the Jets can focus on the playmakers and defenders the team desperately needs. At edge, Texas Tech's David Bailey has been mocked to the Jets repeatedly and is rated as high as No. 6 overall by ESPN's Matt Miller. Ohio State's Sonny Styles keeps coming up in "perfect fit" conversations. At receiver, ESPN's Field Yates says the Jets are "looking for something sticky" at WR2, and there could be a top three pass catcher available when they pick at No. 16.
On defense, the secondary is getting serious attention too. D'Angelo Ponds from Indiana has been compared to Aaron Glenn's own playstyle by NBC Sports' Connor Rodgers, and Caleb Downs at safety has been flagged as a "perfect fit" by multiple evaluators.
The draft hits Pittsburgh on Thursday, and the Jets are ready. With nine picks in hand and a clear vision of what they need, Mougey and Glenn are about to have a massive day reshaping this team.
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