The New York Jets need a quarterback. That’s been something that’s been said for a long time now, and yet here we are. Time and time again, the Jets’ attempt to fix their quarterback room has failed. Coming into the 2026 NFL Draft, New York is looking to once again find a solution to their quarterback woes.
Fernando Mendoza isn’t going to them. The Raiders are dead-set on keeping the first overall pick, and the Jets would have to give up everything for Las Vegas to even consider trading their pick. However, what about the second-best quarterback in the class? Ty Simpson is considered as the second-best QB in 2026, and he’s a good choice for New York.
There will be a lot of competition for Simpson, though: teams like the Arizona Cardinals will also take a crack at the Alabama quarterback. Because of that, the Jets might be tempted to trade back into the first round, especially with the allure of the fifth-year option. However, insider Albert Breer thinks that the Jets can keep their future flexibility by drafting Simpson in the second round.
“If I were them, though, and I like Simpson, I’d probably take him in the second round,” Breer wrote in response to a question about the Jets. “I get the logic of wanting the fifth-year option. But, there’s a nuance in taking a player in the second round that’s important—it doesn’t take you off the market to pick a quarterback the next year.”
Breer argues that if the Jets like Simpson as a quarterback, but are not completely enamored by him, then it’s better to stay put and look for him in the second round. He cites examples of other teams that drafted a quarterback in the second round who then decided to take another quarterback in the following draft. Given that Simpson is not a sure-fire prospect like Mendoza, the Jets would be wise to hedge their bets.
The Jets still have their second-overall pick, though, which they can use in a variety of ways. Let’s see how the Jets attack this year’s draft.
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