The New York Jets may finally have a path to the quarterback they’ve spent years chasing.
After another offseason of trying to piece together the position, New York is now being projected to use the 2027 NFL Draft to swing at a long-term answer. The current setup still points to Geno Smith opening the 2026 season as the starter after the Jets traded for him from the Las Vegas Raiders, but at 35, he fits as a short-term solution rather than the future.
That’s where the draft talk comes in. A new prediction has the Jets taking Notre Dame quarterback Carr, a player who has drawn attention after a strong 2025 season. The projection comes with an important wrinkle: Manzano has New York landing Carr with the pick it acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade.
"The Jets’ patient approach pays off here. They got their defensive cornerstone with the sixth pick and now land a potential franchise quarterback in Carr, who showed real promise in his first starting season with touch and accuracy," Manzano wrote.
"However, the 6'2", 215-pound signal-caller needs to show more growth this season to hold off the other quarterback prospects such as Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker and USC’s Jayden Maiava."
Carr’s 2025 numbers back up the buzz. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, while adding three more scores on the ground. It was the kind of season that made him look like a real NFL prospect.
Still, the Jets know better than anyone that quarterback projections can come and go fast. They’ve taken plenty of swings at the position over the years, and none have turned into the long-term answer they were looking for. Carr would be another bet, but this time the Jets are being linked to a player with legitimate first-round intrigue.
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