The Jets have already finished their preseason work and are moving toward Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, which means the Geno Smith 2.0 era is about to get underway. New York brought Smith in from the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason and reunited with a quarterback who was originally with the franchise from 2013 to 2016. This time around, though, the 35-year-old is clearly there as a bridge, not the answer for the long haul.
That long-term search got complicated in the 2026 draft. The Jets ended up with the second overall pick after a 3-14 season, but Oregon quarterback Dante Moore stayed in school.
That left Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as the only quarterback still viewed as worth taking near the top, and with the Raiders taking the 2025 national champion No. 1 overall, New York went in another direction and selected Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey at No. 2.
The good news for the Jets is that they’re not going to be short on draft capital when the next quarterback hunt really heats up. They own three 2027 first-round picks, and Moore plus Texas star Arch Manning are the names drawing the most attention so far. But if New York doesn’t land one of the top two picks next year, there are still other quarterbacks worth tracking closely.
Julian Sayin is one of them.
The Ohio State redshirt sophomore has a résumé that jumps off the page. He was the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and completed 77% of his 391 passes for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season.
Ohio State won its first 12 games before falling to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and then losing to Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Sayin came just shy of Bo Nix’s NCAA completion percentage record of 77.4%, set in 2023.
For a Jets team looking for a quarterback who can bring real efficiency, Sayin fits the profile. He still has another year in college to keep building his case before he reaches the draft, and that gives him time to keep stacking the kind of production that could make him a serious option. Nix, of course, is now the Denver Broncos’ franchise quarterback.
Another name to watch is Drew Mestemaker.
After transferring from North Texas to Oklahoma State, the redshirt sophomore is moving onto a bigger stage, and that matters. Quarterbacks from non-Power conference schools can absolutely make it in the NFL, with former Wyoming standout Josh Allen as the obvious example, but playing at a larger program gives a prospect more chances to show what he can do against top-level competition.
Mestemaker put up huge numbers for North Texas last season, leading the NCAA with 4,379 passing yards as the Mean Green went 12-2. He also finished with a 68.9% completion rate, 34 touchdown passes, nine interceptions and five rushing touchdowns. Now he gets the chance to prove that production can translate against stronger opposition.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Have A Backup QB Question Worth Watching
Will Levis is suddenly available, and that alone makes him a name worth filing away for teams still sorting out the quarterback room. The former Titans second-round pick was released in Tennessee and cleared waivers, leaving him free to choose his next landing spot as he looks for a chance to continue his NFL career.
For the Jets, the appeal is obvious enough to follow. Levis still carries the kind of physical tools that made him a high draft pick, but he has not yet proven he can be a steady NFL starter, which is why the next step has to be a backup job rather than a path back into the spotlight. New England and Tampa Bay are also in the mix, so this one may come down to which team offers the clearest fit and the cleanest route to a roster spot. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Just Saw Another Failed D-Line Bet End Quietly
The Jets moved on quietly from another defensive line flier, and Mazi Smith quickly landed elsewhere. Miami signed the former first-round pick to its practice squad after New York released him, a reminder of how little margin there is for teams trying to patch depth along the front seven.
Smith has been in the league for three seasons since Dallas took him in the first round, but the production never really matched the pedigree. The Dolphins are bringing him in for depth on their defensive line, while the Jets are left to keep searching for answers in a spot that has not exactly turned into a strength through these recent bets. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Edge Plan Already Has One Early Problem Fans Feared
Joseph Ossais arrival was supposed to help steady the Jets edge rotation right away, with the veteran pass rusher projected to be in the Week 1 mix after a strong enough summer to earn a clear early role. Instead, the preseason finale brought a major setback when Ossai suffered a foot injury that was later described as a full plantar fascia tear, putting his availability for the start of the season in serious doubt.
Aaron Glenn said Ossai is currently week-to-week, and the Jets are considering short-term injured reserve, which would keep him out for at least the first four games. For a team trying to build a more reliable pass rush, it is an early hit to a plan that was already counting on Ossai to be part of the opening-month foundation. [Read more 🡒]