The Jets didn’t make a splash at the deadline, but they may have come away with something better: a cleaner path to premium draft capital.
New York’s only midseason move was sending safety Andre Cisco elsewhere, and despite chatter around pass-rusher Will McDonald IV and attempts to link QB Geno Smith to the Vikings, the roster mostly stayed put. At 2-7, that kind of stand-pat approach doesn’t usually feel like a win. This time, though, the chaos around them did the heavy lifting.
The biggest boost came from Indianapolis. The Colts’ teardown matters a lot to the Jets because New York owns their first-round pick. Indianapolis didn’t move Jonathan Taylor, but it did lose Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Josh Downs, turning an already shaky team into one that figures to be an underdog in most of its remaining games.
Dallas helped, too, just in a quieter way. The Jets also own the Cowboys’ first-rounder, and after sending their own first-round pick to New York for Quinnen Williams a year ago, the Cowboys did nothing at the deadline. That leaves a flawed 4-5 team still facing the 49ers, Seahawks, Rams and Jaguars without any meaningful upgrade to change the outlook.
For a Jets team that has already shifted its attention toward 2027 and beyond, that matters. Next April’s draft is the real prize, when New York will have three first-round picks and a chance to chase a franchise quarterback. The team’s own selection was already trending toward the top with only two wins, and while No. 1 may be a stretch, a top-five slot is very much in play.
As things stand, the Jets’ 2027 first-round haul looks like this:
No. 4 (from Colts)
No. 6 (own)
No. 13 (from Cowboys)
New York also owns the higher pick of the Cowboys and Packers, though Green Bay is two games ahead of Dallas right now, which makes it more likely the Cowboys’ pick ends up higher of the two. Even so, the setup is strong: two picks inside the top six and another at No. 13, giving the Jets a rare chance to make three first-round selections in the top half of the round.
That’s how a quiet deadline can still leave a team in a better spot than it was the day before.
In Other News...
Colts Suddenly Face QB Uncertainty As Vikings Search For Help
The quarterback market is suddenly becoming a Colts story again as the NFL trade deadline approaches, with Minnesota reportedly searching for help before Nov. 10. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport mentioned Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones as possible targets, a reminder that quarterback-needy teams can force conversations quickly this time of year and put other clubs on alert even when they are not looking to move anyone.
For Indianapolis, the wrinkle is less about what Minnesota wants than what it might try to pry loose. The Colts have already made clear they are not interested in dealing Jones, while the Raiders have shown no appetite to move Cousins, but the Vikings may keep pressing anyway as they sift through options. For a team trying to manage its own quarterback situation, that kind of external demand can turn a quiet week into one worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Took Heat After Barely Escaping The Colts
Dallas left Indianapolis with a win, but not much peace of mind. The Cowboys edged the Colts 27-23 in a game that drew plenty of scrutiny afterward, with analyst Connor Livesay taking aim at the coaching staff, especially offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, for the way the offense was managed and for a performance that never looked fully in control.
Schottenheimer did not dismiss the issues, pointing to the penalties and the need for the team to learn how to finish games. For Indianapolis, the result still stings because it was there to be taken, and the way Dallas escaped only sharpened the questions around how the Colts matched up against a team that now turns its attention to San Francisco. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Loss Still Left Indianapolis With A Few Reasons To Watch
The Colts latest loss dropped Indianapolis to 2-7 and officially shut the door on any realistic playoff path, but it still offered a few things worth filing away for the stretch run. Even in a season that has gone sideways, there are individual performances that can help shape what the team looks like next, and this game gave the staff a clearer look at a few players who made their presence felt.
Ashton Dulin, Spencer Shrader, Laiatu Latu and CJ Allen all stood out in different ways, giving the Colts some on-field positives to balance out the result. Dulin provided a spark in the passing game, Shrader kept contributing in the kicking game, and Latu and Allen each showed the kind of disruptive play the Colts can build on as they try to salvage something meaningful from the final weeks. [Read more 🡒]