The Jets’ 2027 outlook got a fresh jolt in a recent mock draft, and it starts at the most important position of all. In Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo’s latest projection, New York comes away with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore at No. 7 overall, giving the franchise a potential long-term answer after a rough Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears has plenty of fans already looking ahead.
Moore is viewed as one of the class’s top names, but the road to this point has not been clean. Melo wrote, "Oregon quarterback Dante Moore suffered a scary-looking concussion in a win over USC and will now be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time. The setback complicates his scouting report, as did an ugly early-season showing versus Oklahoma State."
That makes the Jets’ selection feel a little more debatable than exciting right now. Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr and Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker are mentioned as prospects who might look better in the slot, and either would probably bring a stronger wave of optimism to the fan base.
New York’s next two first-round swings in the mock go toward the defensive side. With the No. 12 pick, which Melo projects as coming from Dallas, the Jets land Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles.
Melo pointed to the need up front, writing, "The Jets aren't receiving enough pass-rushing production from their defensive line, and that's especially true across the interior. Ole Miss' Will Echoles possesses dominant upside as a three-technique.
Size, speed, and first-step explosiveness are evident throughout his frame."
That fit makes sense given the state of the Jets’ interior line. Harrison Phillips, David Onyemata, and Jowon Briggs are all on one-year deals, and New York is not expected to keep all of them beyond this season. Echoles would give the group another young piece with upside.
The final first-round addition in Melo’s mock comes with the No. 13 pick, which the Jets received from Indianapolis in the Sauce Gardner trade. That selection brings Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV to New York, a move aimed at helping fill the void left by Gardner with a true No. 1 cornerback capable of handling an opponent’s top receiver.
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