The Jets will be in the market for a new quarterback next offseason.
Justin Fields was once thought to potentially be a player who could revitalize his career with the Green and White. However, in nine starts before he was benched for Tyrod Taylor, Fields led the worst passing attack in the NFL.
There are several ways the Jets could try to find a franchise quarterback. The 2026 NFL Draft appears to be the likeliest way Gang Green will look for quarterback help.
The problem is, the Jets may not be in the best draft position to select a quarterback. However, they do have five first-round draft picks over the next two years, and that’s why CBS Sports NFL analyst JP Acosta said he would do whatever it takes to draft a QB in 2026.
“I think with the way the offense is built and having multiple first-round picks, you have the opportunity to go get your guy [Indiana’s] Fernando Mendoza, [Oregon’s] Dante Moore,” Acosta told the Daily News. “Whoever ends up being the QB2 in this draft, you have the opportunity to go and get him.
“And with that other first-round pick, you have the opportunity to go and get a skill position player. Somebody who can really sort of tie into the offense and blend it together. I think that’s what they’re really missing outside of the quarterback position. They need another receiver that can blend the skills of Garrett Wilson and the skills of [Adonai] Mitchell together to make the offense a little bit more cohesive.”
The Jets acquired two first-round picks (2026, 2027) after dealing cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts at the trade deadline last month. They also received a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick after shipping Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.
So even if the Jets don’t have one of the top three picks in the draft, they have enough ammunition to trade up if they so choose. In most mock drafts, Mendoza is the top quarterback in the class.
Mendoza is a classic pocket passer, but he has enough speed and athletic ability to evade pass rushers consistently. His timing and accuracy are arguably the best in the nation, as evidenced by his 71.5% completion percentage during the regular season after transferring from Cal. In 12 games, Mendoza passed for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns and six interceptions on the way to leading the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten Championship since 1967.
Mendoza is in the mold of Jared Goff, who was the Lions’ quarterback during the four seasons when current Jets coach Aaron Glenn was the defensive coordinator. Jets fans have been clamoring for the team to lose games so they can have a better chance of drafting Mendoza.
“I saw him playing at Cal, and I thought he had a lot of the pre- and post-snap processing that you look for in an NFL quarterback,” Acosta said. “I think he might be a little limited when it comes to creation outside the pocket, but you look at the touch, you look at the velocity that he can get when he throws the ball downfield, the accuracy, the ball placement, I think he’s as close to a professional quarterback in college football right now.
“When you put him in an offense thinking about what [Jets offensive coordinator] Tanner Engstrand wants to do and what they want to do based on what they were in Detroit, you can think of Fernando Mendoza as Jared Goff. You can think of him sliding into that role very easily. [He] can fire passes over the middle of the field, and just his ability to understand what the defense is throwing at him pre- and post-snap is impeccable at this stage of his career.”
After transferring from UCLA and then sitting behind Dillon Gabriel for a year, Moore has been the engine that has run Oregon’s offense this year. At just 20 years old, Moore has the pocket patience and poise of a seasoned veteran. He also has an excellent arm, making pinpoint passes.
What makes Moore special and different from Mendoza is his mobility to extend plays inside and outside the pocket with his legs. He passed for 2,733 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions after leading Oregon to an 11-1 record.
Moore could remain in school, but he may declare for the draft after Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein becomes Kentucky’s coach following the postseason.
“I think right now he probably should enter the draft because the dude is just a textbook,” Acosta said. “He’s like a professional golfer playing quarterback, where he can get the ball up and down. You think about a golfer getting the ball onto the green and not letting it roll. That’s what Dante Moore is as a passer.
“The touch, the ball placement, the accuracy. I think he has a little bit more athletic potential than Mendoza. I think he offers a little more athletic upside, but when you look at the situations that Oregon has asked to dig them out of, especially without Dakorien Moore, Kenyon Sadiq missed games. Their receiver room has been hurt by injury and he is just digging them out of a lot of bad situations.
“With the NFL, it seems like a lot of teams want the experience or want the games played. So I wonder if he ends up coming back just to get more starts under his belt.”
