Jets Take a Big Loss - and a Bigger Step Toward Draft Clarity
The New York Jets didn’t just lose on Sunday - they got steamrolled. Trevor Lawrence lit them up for six touchdowns in a 48-20 blowout that wasn’t as close as the score suggests. But while the scoreboard was ugly, the long-term implications might actually be exactly what this franchise needed.
Heading into Week 15, the Jets were sitting with the No. 7 overall pick - a spot that left them in no man’s land when it comes to landing one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. With only three QBs projected to go in the top 10, being seventh meant the Jets were staring down a tough choice: mortgage future picks to trade up, or kick the quarterback can down the road yet again.
Then Sunday happened. And suddenly, the future looks a whole lot more manageable.
Draft Order Shake-Up: Jets Climb Without Winning
Thanks to their own loss and timely wins by the Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints, the Jets now hold the No. 5 overall pick as Week 15 wraps up. That may not seem like a massive jump on paper, but in the quarterback market, every inch counts - especially in a class with limited top-end options.
Here’s how the current top of the draft board looks:
- New York Giants (2-12) - .536 strength of schedule (SOS)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) - .548 SOS
- Tennessee Titans (2-12) - .576 SOS
- Cleveland Browns (3-11) - .483 SOS
- New York Jets (3-11) - .538 SOS
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11) - .571 SOS
- New Orleans Saints (4-10) - .494 SOS
- Washington Commanders (4-10) - .508 SOS
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) - .521 SOS
- LA Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) (5-9) - .502 SOS
Critically, of the teams ahead of them, only the Raiders (No. 2) and Browns (No. 4) are expected to be in the quarterback market. The Giants and Titans are projected to stick with their 2025 first-rounders - Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward, respectively - meaning they’re likely out of the QB hunt.
That puts the Jets in the No. 3 spot among quarterback-needy teams, right behind the Raiders and Browns. And in a draft class where Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson are the only QBs widely viewed as top-10 talents, being third in line is a huge deal.
The Quarterback Picture Clears - Slightly
Of course, there’s still some uncertainty. Mendoza, Moore, and Simpson haven’t officially declared for the draft.
If even one of them returns to school, the QB market tightens dramatically. But if all three declare, the Jets now sit in a position where they could land one without having to give up additional picks to move up the board.
That said, nothing is guaranteed. A team like New Orleans could still leapfrog the Jets via trade, forcing New York to make a move of their own to lock in their guy.
But the key here is that the Jets now have leverage. They’re no longer boxed into a corner.
They have options - and in the NFL Draft, that’s gold.
Jets vs. Saints: A "Tank Bowl" with Real Stakes
Ironically, the Jets will face the Saints next week in what’s shaping up to be one of the most consequential late-season games for draft positioning in recent memory. The Saints, winners of two straight against NFC South contenders, have played themselves out of an ideal draft spot - and into a must-lose situation if they want to stay in the QB conversation.
For the Jets, the stakes are just as high. A win in New Orleans would drop them back behind the Saints in the draft order, potentially back into that dreaded No. 4 slot among quarterback-hungry teams. That’s a dangerous spot to be, especially if you’re sitting behind a team willing to trade up.
And while the Jets are only one game back of the top overall pick, their strength-of-schedule tiebreaker could come into play in a big way. They currently hold that edge over Las Vegas and Tennessee, and they’re nearly neck-and-neck with the Giants. Cleveland’s SOS (.483) is likely out of reach, but the Jets are tied with them in record, so that race is far from over.
Big Picture: A Path to a Franchise QB
Just 24 hours ago, the Jets were picking seventh, staring at the possibility of missing out on a top quarterback in a thin class. Now, they’re fifth - and potentially in control of their own destiny. With three games left, the draft order is far from final, but the path to a franchise quarterback is suddenly clearer than it’s been all season.
Next Sunday’s matchup in New Orleans could end up being a defining moment - not just for this season, but for the next decade of Jets football. It’s the kind of game that doesn’t just shift draft boards. It shifts futures.