A week after the Seahawks decimated the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the NFL offseason is in full swing.
The NFL Scouting Combine will be held in Indianapolis next week. Free agency and the new league year will begin on March 11 and the NFL Draft will be held from April 23-25.
Following a dreadful 3-14 season, the Jets have plenty of holes to fill. Among them is the quarterback position, which seems like a constant with the organization.
A year ago, the Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract, hoping he could revitalize his career following disappointing stops in Chicago and Pittsburgh. However, he was benched after nine starts, not long after owner Woody Johnson criticized his play. It is expected Fields will be released before the start of the new league year.
The problem for the Jets is that after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who the Raiders are expected to draft No. 1 overall, there isn’t another quarterback worth selecting that early. In this exercise, I have the Jets eventually adding a third-round pick and drafting Miami’s Carson Beck, a quarterback that Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich can develop.
Gang Green has four picks in the top 44 picks after the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades last November. For now, let’s look at how I see the Jets’ first four draft picks going.
NO. 2: CALEB DOWNS, SAFETY, OHIO STATE
There has been lots of chatter about what the Jets should do at with the second overall pick. But with so many needs, they should select the best available player and Downs is the best prospect in this year’s class.
Brother of Colts wide receiver Josh, and the son of former NFL running back Gary, Downs has everything a defensive coordinator wants in a safety. The former five-star prospect out of Hoschton, Ga., was a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Conference’s 2025 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big Ten selection in 2024 and 2025.
Downs would be the ultimate chess piece on a Jets defense in need of an influx of talent. Their defense took a drastic step back in 2025, falling from third in yards allowed in 2024 to 25th. The Jets were also next-to-last to the Cowboys in points allowed (29.6).
What makes Downs such an elite prospect is being equally exceptional in both run support and pass coverage. He has excellent instincts and is not fooled by either man or zone coverage.
With the Jets’ major need at safety, selecting Downs, who is the best player and maybe the safest, here is a no-brainer.
NO. 16: MAKAI LEMON, WR, USC
Don’t let Lemon’s 5-11, 195-pound stature fool you. He is one of the best receivers and toughest players in this year’s draft class.
Lemon can be a weapon in both the slot and on the outside and he plays much better than his size might suggest. He was USC’s top receiver last season and he won the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the best receiver in college football, after recording 79 catches for 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns.
Lemon excels the most in his yards after catch. He can force defenders to miss with his speed and agility. Lemon is also arguably the best route runner available in this year’s class of receivers.
The Jets could use more weapons surrounding Garrett Wilson, who missed 10 games due to a knee injury. Lemon would instantly be the Jets’ second-best receiver if they decide to draft him here.
NO. 33: KAYDEN MCDONALD, DT, OHIO STATE
The Jets could use another interior presence after trading Williams at the deadline. McDonald has the size, strength and athleticism to become an impact player in the NFL. He just needs to become a more consistent player.
In 14 games, McDonald recorded 65 tackles, three sacks, nine tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles for a Buckeyes defense that ranked No. 1 nationally allowing 9.3 points per game. With his size and strength, McDonald can regularly get into the backfield and create havoc.
However, McDonald is still a limited pass rusher. He also needs to work on his technique, but he improved it late in the season, including during Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl loss to Miami.
Because of that, he could slide to Round 2, where he could begin as a rotational two-down player. The Jets’ defense finished 29th in rushing yards allowed (139.5), and they could use a young run-stuffer like McDonald.
NO. 44: ZION YOUNG, DE, MISSOURI
The Jets’ pass rush was nonexistent during large stretches last year. Jermaine Johnson recorded just three sacks after suffering an Achilles injury in 2024. Will McDonald finished with eight sacks, but six of those came in Week 1 against the Steelers and Week 9 vs. the Browns.
Young is a player teams would love to have come off the bus first. He is physically imposing at 6-5, 262 pounds. He also has the motor and strength to be an every-down pass rusher. In 13 games at Missouri last year, Young recorded 42 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Young does come with off-field concerns. While at Michigan State in 2023, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor aggravated assault for his role in a postgame incident in the tunnel following a loss at Michigan. Then, last December, while playing at Missouri, Young was charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding.
But with his size and ability to be a playmaker in both run and passing downs, Young will likely be a candidate to go early in Round 2.
