After another season full of defeats, the don't appear to be any closer to figuring out their direction. What they do have is draft picks. New York has four picks acro s the first two rounds, two of which land inside the top-16. There are multiple ways to build a winner, but few have proven as effective as building through the draft. New York needs help on all sides of the ball. Its offense was one of the least productive in 2025, tallying the fourth-fewest yards per game in the league. Its defense didn't fare much better, surrendering the second-most points per game (29.6). All of that is to say, the Jets' bra s should keep an open mind come draft day. Any addition is a welcome one. With that, here's a look at five of the best scenarios for New York with its two first-rounders in the 2026 NFL Draft. MORE 2026 NFL DRAFT: Jets draft pick projections 1. Arvell Reese, LB/EDGE, Ohio State (No. 2) & Makai Lemon, WR, USC (No. 16) Between trading away Pro Bowl pa s rusher Jermaine Johnson and bringing back Geno Smith on a prove-it deal, the Jets look to have shown their hand regarding their priorities Eric Reid Jersey in this year's draft. While a starting-grade pa ser would be nice, taking any quarterback not named Fernando Mendoza here would represent an Evel Knievel-like leap. New York needs pa s-rushing help in a major way, ranking 31st in sacks (26) and 27th in pre sure rate (28.8%) last season. Reese and his proverbial positional rival, Texas Tech's David Bailey, are the draft's two best pa s-rushers. Both have shown flashes of sack artistry, although Bailey was slightly more productive as far as sacks go, tallying 14.5 compared to Reese's 6.5. And yet, it's Reese, not Bailey, who gets the nod here. Reese served as a joker in Matt Patricia's multiple-front system, artificially limiting his ability to get to the quarterback. What he lacked in traditional figures, Reese made up for in impact; he was a spy and read player during his final season in Columbus, using his impre sive athleticism to inflict pain upon opposition ball-carriers. Reese has the frame and twitchine s to find succe s as a pa s-rusher. But his versatility will be alluring to a New York team still finding its identity following the departures of Johnson, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. He's also 20 years old, two years younger than Bailey. All roads point to Reese having the slightest of advantages over Bailey. With defensive improvements sorted in the short term, expect New York to add some weapons to its attacking front with its second first-round pick. Smith is hardly the quarterback of the future in the Big Apple. But he should be a steady -- if somewhat erratic -- presence in the pocket for the Jets. With Garrett Wilson locked up on the sixth-largest wide receiver contract in NFL history, New York has its WR1.The Jets don't have much more outside of that, however. The Jets have plenty of holes acro s their roster. But the prospect of landing Lemon -- a sure-handed slot receiver whose footwork and blocking shined at the collegiate level -- could be too much for Gang Green to pa s up. 2. David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech (No. 2) & Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State (No. 16) Reese's potential is enchanting. But there's a case to be made that Bailey is the safer of the two picks. His strengths are not too di similar to those of Reese -- they are both long, lean and explosive, albeit in different ways. Moreover, sacks are the currency by which pa s rushers are paid with. And no player in this year's draft was better at collecting sacks in 2025 than Bailey. Aaron Glenn fired nine a sistants -- including his offensive and defensive coordinators -- ahead of the 2026 season. While he remains at the head of the table in New York, that's not the actions one would expect of a coach with full job security. As previously mentioned, the Jets were one of the NFL's worst pa s-rushing teams in 2025. Bailey boasted the nation's best pre sure rate (20.2%) with the Red . Reese might have the higher ceiling of the two talents. But Glenn will be seeking results in 2026. Bailey might be better-equipped to accomplish that task. Tyson would need to drop for this pairing to be po sible. Many consider the Arizona State alum the best pa s-catcher available in this year's cla s, with injuries the only thing preventing him from being considered a slam-dunk top-10 pick. Tyson's durability i sues are a concern. But if he were to drop to New York at No. 16, they would be risks worth taking. He is toolsy, elegant and composed in traffic -- all traits that could dazzle alongside Wilson. 3. Arvell Reese, LB/EDGE, Ohio State (No. 2) & Makai Lemon, WR, USC (No. 16) In this scenario, we a sume that the Jets land on Reese, the younger and arguably higher-potential edge-rushing mavens. It's certainly po sible that Glenn and Co. attempt to tack on some additional talent to its defensive ranks. However, it seems likelier that New York will invest on both sides of the ball. The Jets produced the fewest pa sing yards in the league in 2025. The signing of Smith appears to acknowledge that improvements need to be made on that side of the field. Bringing in Lemon would offer additional reinforcements to a unit that already features Wilson and Breece Hall. Smith might not be the quarterback of the future in the Big Apple. But he lies in wait, likely slated to hear his name called in the coming few drafts. Lemon would give the Jets another piece to greet him with whenever he does arrive. 4. David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech (No. 2) & Jermod McCoy, CB, Tenne see (No. 16) A pa s rusher is joining Gang Green during the 2026 NFL draft. The Reese-Bailey debate is a matter of ideological preference. Bailey is a gifted pa s-rusher who could serve as a building block for a new-look Jets front. In the form of McCoy, New York could collect another. Much like Tyson, McCoy is a gifted talent whose name is largely weighed down due to injury concerns. The Tenne see product mi sed the whole of the 2025 season with an ACL tear. His showcases during the 2024 season were wondrous, however. McCoy is an elite athlete at his position, po se sing the fluidity of movement to keep up with the SEC's best wideouts. While not quite the devastating injury it once was, ACL tears remain a topic of discu sion among NFL front offices. If teams above New York are wary of McCoy due to his injury history, that could open the door for the Jets to add a 20-year-old standout to rebuild their secondary. MORE: 5. Arvell Reese, LB/EDGE, Ohio State (No. 2) & Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama (No. 16) If New York wanted to get freaky, it could opt to bring in Simpson with the second of its first-round picks. The Alabama prospect is the most polarizing talent in this year's draft, with some believing he is a first-round pick and others handing him a second-round grade. His true value might lie somewhere in the middle. Simpson as "a low-level NFL starter, with the ceiling of a mid-level starter and floor of a backup", likening him to "Daniel Jones with le ser physical traits." That's not the most inspiring a se sment of a top-16 selection. But team needs factor into projections, too. And no team needs a long-term answer at quarterback more than the Jets. With Reese, the Jets get a defensive stalwart who projects to make an outsized impact, be that on the edge or as a roaming linebacker. Perhaps New York can take a gamble on Simpson -- and put faith in their surrounding offensive talent. Jaxson Dart was regularly mocked as a second-round pick ahead of last year's draft, only for him to hear his name called in the first. Neither the dont appear to regret their decision. NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2026: | | | | Simpson is a risk at No. 16. But with Reese in tow, perhaps that's a venture Glenn and Co. is willing to make. Labryan Ray Jersey