The New York Jets may have stumbled into a draft setup that looks almost too good to be true.
Not long after dealing two of their best players at the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the team’s 2027 draft outlook is suddenly loaded. Through the first stretch of the 2026 season, the Jets are in position to land a haul that could reshape the franchise’s future.
Right now, Tankathon has New York holding the third and eighth overall picks in the 2027 NFL draft, with those selections coming via the Indianapolis Colts and the Green Bay Packers, respectively.
That kind of snapshot in September doesn’t mean much by itself. The standings are still fluid, and one win can swing a team from the top of the board to the middle of it.
But the projection models are telling a more interesting story.
PerThirtySix’s NFL forecasts, which are built on Elo ratings, have the Colts projected for 6.6 wins, which is the seventh-worst mark in the league. The Packers are projected for 7.1 wins, tied to the ninth-worst outlook. The Jets are right there too, with a 6.6-win projection that ranks eighth-worst.
If those numbers hold, New York would be sitting on three top-10 picks.
The Jets would obviously prefer their own first-rounder to land much lower than eighth, but the real intrigue is how quickly Indianapolis and Green Bay have fallen from where they started the year.
In Vegas, the Colts opened with an over-under of 8.5 wins. The Packers were set at 9.5. Both teams have already seen those expectations come crashing down after rough starts.
Indianapolis is dealing with the effects of quarterback Daniel Jones’ declined efficiency after an Achilles tear, and its defense has been the worst in the league. Green Bay, meanwhile, has been hammered by injuries and has already taken two three-score losses in three games. Their only victory came in a comeback against the Jets.
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Jets Face A Tough Defensive Line Decision After Key Injury
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Harrison Phillips still leads the team in snaps, but his role may be headed for a trim as the Jets look for more disruption up front. The expectation is that Briggs will see a bigger share of the workload, which makes the next stretch important for a unit trying to stay sturdy without losing pressure off the interior. [Read more 🡒]
