While the New York Jets certainly didn’t prefer the fashion in which they lost, allowing Trevor Lawrence to explode for six touchdowns in a joke of a 48-20 defeat, the franchise arguably needed the L it took in Duval County.

Prior to Sunday’s laugher, the Jets possessed the No. 7 overall draft pick, leaving them in a precarious position. They were too low to have a likely chance at selecting one of the projected top-tier quarterback prospects, forcing them to either dip into their precious chest of draft picks for a trade-up or waste another season by punting their quarterback pursuit to 2027.

In a matter of one Sunday, the Jets’ quarterback outlook is a whole lot brighter.

Jets’ future becomes clearer

Along with the Jets’ loss on Sunday, New York enjoyed victories from two teams who were situated above them in the draft order: the Washington Commanders and (more importantly) the New Orleans Saints. This leaves the Jets in possession of the No. 5 overall pick coming out of Week 15’s action.

  1. New York Giants: 2-12 (.536 SOS)
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: 2-12 (.548)
  3. Tennessee Titans: 2-12 (.576)
  4. Cleveland Browns: 3-11 (.483)
  5. New York Jets: 3-11 (.538)
  6. Arizona Cardinals: 3-11 (.571)
  7. New Orleans Saints: 4-10 (.494)
  8. Washington Commanders: 4-10 (.508)
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: 4-10 (.521)
  10. LA Rams via Atlanta: 5-9 (.502)

Critically, the Jets are now the third-ranked team that will presumably be in the market for a quarterback, trailing only the No. 2 Raiders and the No. 4 Browns. The No. 1 Giants and No. 3 Titans likely won’t be drafting quarterbacks due to 2025 first-rounders Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward, respectively.

Before leaping the Saints, the Jets were fourth in that order. That was the worst position for New York to be in, as the 2026 draft class features only three quarterback prospects who are believed to be worth top-10 picks: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (consensus No. 2 overall prospect), Oregon’s Dante Moore (No. 3), and Alabama’s Ty Simpson (No. 7).

We still have to see whether Mendoza, Moore, and Simpson each declare. If even one of them chooses to stay in college, the picture will look much different.

If each of them does enter the draft, though, the Jets now find themselves in a position to land one of them without moving up the board. Granted, New Orleans or another team could leapfrog the Jets through a trade, which, in turn, could prompt the Jets to trade up a few spots to secure their man. While nothing is guaranteed as of yet, jumping New Orleans is undoubtedly a massive boon for the Jets’ quarterback hopes.

Coincidentally enough, New Orleans is where the Jets will find themselves in six days.

The Jets and Saints are set to battle in what will be hailed as one of New York’s most critical “tank battles” in recent franchise history.

The Saints, fresh off a two-game win streak over the top teams in the NFC South, have shockingly yielded their draft advantage to the Jets, which seemed highly unlikely not long ago. The Jets, once on the upswing after a 3-2 run, suddenly have a chance to skyrocket up the draft board. With their team looking listless in back-to-back embarrassing losses, many fans would prefer to see that ascent continue.

Picking seventh overall just 24 hours ago, the Jets suddenly have a realistic chance to secure the No. 1 pick.

Not only are the Jets just a single game back of the first selection, but they currently own the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over two of the four teams ahead of them (Las Vegas and Tennessee), while the top-ranked Giants only have a minimal SOS advantage (.536 to .538), which can flip over the next three weeks. The only team in the top four that owns the SOS tiebreaker is Cleveland, whose .483 mark is probably insurmountable for the Jets, but the teams are tied in outright win-loss record.

Meanwhile, the Saints (.494 SOS) also have an essentially insurmountable tiebreaker advantage over New York, making Sunday’s game critical for those interested in tanking. If the Jets win, the Saints will surpass them in the draft order, burying New York back down in the No. 4 hole of quarterback-needy teams in a class that is perceived to have three top-10-worthy prospects.

As of today, it has become much easier to project the Jets’ path to a franchise quarterback. Three games remain for the order to sort itself out, though, including a pivotal game in the Big Easy that could be looked back upon as a turning point for both franchises.