The 2026 NFL draft is fewer than 10 days away. As the league prepares for the clock to hit 8:00 p.m. ET on April 23, fans of the New York Jets are wondering what they will do with the 16th overall pick.
While many expect them to target a wide receiver at 16, waiting could be the more prosperous avenue. Then, again, what if there’s a more unique path to travel en route to a Round 1 wideout?
Daniel Jeremiah, who recently appeared on “SportsCenter” with Rich Eisen, mocked the Jets to trade up to No. 7 to select Ohio State stud Carnell Tate.
After drafting Texas Tech edge David Bailey No. 2, Darren Mougey and company trade up and into the No. 7 slot. Jeremiah has New York sending the 16th and 44th overall picks to the Washington Commanders to land Tate.
Tate — a prospect Garrett Wilson would love to see the Jets draft — is coming off an excellent 2025 campaign. Among 19 draft-eligible D1 wide receivers, Tate stood out in a number of statistical categories:
- Yards Per Route Run: 3.52 (1st)
- Contested Catch Rate: 85.7% (1st)
- Drop Rate: 0.0% (1st)
- PFF Offense: 90.3 (2nd)
- PFF Receiving: 90.2 (2nd)
Tate is widely considered the top wide receiver in the NFL draft and would be an excellent pairing with the previously mentioned Wilson. While Jeremiah also reported that Tate is in play at second overall, size concerns will likely cause him to slide.
Armed with two picks in each of the first two rounds, the Jets will likely be active on draft night. However, we won’t know whether that’s trading up or back for 10 more days.
