New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey has now gone through two drafts at the helm of the team’s front office.

Not every move has worked out. That is never the case, even for the top executives around the league. But in the short time Mougey has been at the helm, a clear shift has begun for Gang Green.

“I think we did a really good job of identifying the guys that we love,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said on Saturday. “We brought them here to this team to be able to help us continue to move in the direction that we want to move.”

For a franchise without a playoff appearance since 2010 or a winning record since 2015, Mougey’s draft plan has been a welcome change.

Jets’ draft approach

An easy question to ask following any draft weekend is: Did the team get better?

Arguably, no team improved as much as the Jets did last weekend.

“It felt like Part 1 of a summer blockbuster, the highly anticipated draft sequel – generally and specifically to the NYJ – still a year away,” USA Today wrote on the Jets’ draft grades. “But if things unfold as nicely in 2027 as well as Gang Green’s haul seemed to go this year, then New York should actually be a legitimate playoff contender by 2028.”

The widespread celebration of New York’s draft class makes plenty of sense. They kept their treasure trove of picks in 2027 and still added quality talent, with four picks in the top 50 overall selections.

On the final day of the draft, the Jets added a developmental quarterback, a run-stuffing defensive tackle, and strong special teams depth.

Many of the positions the Jets addressed were clear needs going into the weekend. More importantly, though, they didn’t reach on many of their prospects.

Mougey feels as if it was the product of having a full year to prepare for the draft, which was not the case in his first season.

“It’s definitely a more comfortable feeling going in knowing you have a whole year with your processes,” Mougey said. ” I felt much more comfortable visualizing the board this year and kind of knowing how it was going to fall and feel really good about where we’re at as a whole staff.”

New York’s approach was as simple as it was successful throughout the draft. They let the board fall into their hands. When a deal was there to be had, they moved up. When the team felt they could stay back and take the best player available, they did it.

The 2026 draft was a clear sign of Mougey’s brilliance in the personnel role. Not every move will work out, just as was the case during the 2025 season.

But so long as Mougey is running the show, the Jets will continue to make smart moves. Time will tell whether that will be enough to change the organization’s life going forward.