In his first mock draft of the year, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Jets selecting a quarterback.
Just not with the No. 2 overall pick.
Kiper projects the Jets to draft Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 2, and then to take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 16.
“That’s a pretty good first round,” Kiper wrote.
The Jets’ draft outlook changed last week when Oregon quarterback Dante Moore Jr. decided to return to college for the 2026 season.
Many believed the dual-threat Moore would be the second-best prospect in this year’s draft, behind only Heisman-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, whom most — including Kiper — expect the Las Vegas Raiders to select with the No. 1 pick.
Without another quarterback worthy of the No. 2 pick available, Kiper gives the Jets some much-needed defensive help with the fast-rising Reese.
The 6-4, 243-pound Reese totaled 69 tackles, 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss as a junior in 2025, his first year as a full-time starter.
He is the top defensive player and the No. 4 overall prospect on Kiper’s big board.
“With coach Aaron Glenn’s defensive background, getting that unit right will be an offseason priority,” Kiper wrote. “Reese played off the ball before moving into an edge rusher role in 2025, and he has the traits to make an impact there in the NFL. I love his instincts and burst.”
The Jets also own the No. 16 pick thanks to the blockbuster November trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts.
That is a more suitable spot for the Jets to select Simpson, according to Kiper, who grades the outgoing junior as the second-best quarterback prospect and the 25th overall player in this year’s draft.
Kiper lauded the pocket presence and ceiling of Simpson, who completed 64.5% of his throws for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns with five interceptions as a first-year starter in 2025.
He ranks Simpson ahead of Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, who is the No. 3 QB on Kiper’s board. Chambliss, an undersized playmaker who starred during the College Football Playoff, is suing the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility.
“I do have some concerns about Simpson,” Kiper wrote. “He has 15 career starts, which means this pick would come with a lot of risk. That’s just not enough game experience. We also can’t ignore his dip in performance in the second half of the 2025 season. But there’s also no questioning his upside.”
It is possible the Jets will wait until 2027 to take a quarterback, as they have three first-round picks that year. Moore and Texas’ Arch Manning are expected to headline a deep 2027 quarterback class.
But Kiper’s 2026 approach for the Jets would be similar to the one the Giants employed last year, when they drafted pass rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall, then traded back into the first round to take quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25.
After Dart’s encouraging rookie season, the Giants are not in the market for a quarterback this time around.
But they are in need of additional weapons, which is why Kiper projects the Giants to take Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 5 pick in their first draft under new head coach John Harbaugh.
Tate totaled 51 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games as a junior in 2025.
At 6-3 and 195 pounds, Tate would provide a downfield complement to No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers, whom the Giants hope to have back by training camp after last September’s season-ending knee injury.
“Tate would bring fantastic route running and reliable hands to MetLife Stadium,” Kiper wrote.
Other notable picks projected by Kiper include Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa going to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 and Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey landing with the Tennessee Titans at No. 4.
He predicts the Kansas City Chiefs to retool with star Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love — the No. 2 prospect on his board — at No. 9.
