Robert Saleh got a rare boost on Sunday, and Jets fans might be the biggest beneficiaries.
The former New York Jets head coach, whose first season with the Tennessee Titans has been rough from the jump, watched his team stun the Indianapolis Colts 26-0 in the second half to pull out a win that kept Tennessee from becoming the NFL’s first 0-17 team. Even with another ugly outing from quarterback Cam Ward, the Titans found enough late to flip the game.
For the Jets, the result carries draft-day ripple effects. New York picked up the Colts’ 2027 first-rounder in last November’s Sauce Gardner trade, and that asset suddenly looks a lot better after Sunday’s result.
As of October 19, the Jets are sitting on No. 6 via Dallas, No. 10 via Indianapolis and No. 13 next spring. Indianapolis’ outlook only got murkier on Monday, when the team fired longtime general manager Chris Ballard.
With the Jets off to a 2-4 start and questions swirling around Aaron Glenn’s future, it’s no surprise that plenty of fans are already thinking ahead to the draft.
Quarterback is the obvious place to begin. Texas standout Arch Manning is playing himself out of the 2027 draft’s first round if he enters at all, since there’s still a chance he returns for his redshirt senior season. There’s even uncertainty about whether he’ll be on the field next year at Texas, especially if Steve Sarkisian benches him after consecutive losses.
The buzz around Notre Dame’s CJ Carr is already building, and the source material makes clear the Jets are not sold on Oregon’s Dante Moore because of his concussion-related indefinite absence. With three first-round picks, though, there’s also the possibility that New York uses draft capital to chase a proven quarterback elsewhere.
The quarterback market could get crowded. The Dolphins at No. 2 are expected to be in the mix, while the Buccaneers at No. 4 are not viewed as a likely team to take Baker Mayfield’s eventual replacement that early.
Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker has also surged into the conversation as a potential top-five pick after continuing to carve up defenses. A former North Texas walk-on who mostly kicked and punted in high school, Mestemaker has become one of the more intriguing names in the class.
There are other spots the Jets may need to attack, too. Rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. flashed on Sunday, and how he performs over the next few months could shape whether another first-round wideout makes sense. Cornerback is also in the mix, with Pro Football Focus recently pointing to Georgia’s Ellis Robinson IV as a target.
Safety, though, stands out as a position to watch closely. Minkah Fitzpatrick turns 30 next month, and Dane Belton is on a one-year deal. ESPN’s Mel Kiper listed Notre Dame’s Brauntae Johnson and California’s Kingston Lopa as his top safeties in the 2027 class, even if neither made his latest big board.
In Other News...
Jets Offense Has One Obvious Problem After Patriots Loss
The Jets offense spent another Sunday looking constrained in the 26-19 loss to New England, and the missing element was easy to spot. Without Adonai Mitchell stretching the field, the passing game has lacked the kind of vertical threat that can force defenses to back off, leaving offensive coordinator Frank Reich to work with a narrower menu of options than he probably wanted in Week 6.
Mitchells absence has now become a real part of the conversation around why the unit has been less effective lately, because his speed and downfield presence were supposed to open things up for everyone else. Until he gets back into the lineup, the Jets are left trying to manufacture explosive plays without the receiver who most naturally changes the geometry of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Braelon Allen Just Put Jets Coaches Under A Harsh Spotlight
After the loss to the Patriots, Braelon Allen did not sound interested in softening the message around the Jets offense. The second-year running back said the group needs to stop playing against itself, a blunt assessment after a game in which he was one of the few bright spots. Allen finished with 104 total yards on 19 touches, including work both as a runner and a receiver, while rookie Omar Cooper Jr. posted his first 100-yard game.
For a team that has stumbled to a 2-4 start, comments like that only sharpen the attention on Aaron Glenn and Frank Reich. The Jets have spent much of the early season trying to find offensive rhythm and consistency, and Allens frustration underscored how uneven it still looks when the pressure ramps up. If the offense is already being called out from inside the locker room, the coaching staff is staring at a problem that goes well beyond one loss. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Could Not Afford Garrett Wilson's Quietest Role Yet
Garrett Wilson was on the field, but for much of Sunday night he was not much of a factor in the Jets offense. In a 26-19 loss to the Patriots, the wide receiver finished with four catches for 44 yards on six targets, a quiet showing for one of the teams most important playmakers.
What stood out even more was how little Wilson was involved early, when the game was still there to be won. Afterward, he addressed his limited role, a familiar frustration for a Jets offense that could not afford to leave one of its top weapons on the margins for long. [Read more 🡒]