Even as the New York Jets’ 2026 season circles the drain, their 2027 war chest continues to overflow.
The Jets are sitting pretty in the 2027 NFL draft, as they are currently projected to own three top-12 selections after seven weeks of football: No. 7 (via Indianapolis), No. 10 (own), and No. 12 (via Dallas).
Looking ahead, those picks could climb even higher as the season progresses.
On Tuesday, it was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Indianapolis Colts have traded six-time All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson (who is on an expiring contract) to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. It’s a move that has direct implications on the Jets, who own the Colts’ 2027 first-round pick.
Trading the team’s most accomplished player signals a turn to the future for the 2-5 Colts, who have lost three straight games and are rated as the NFL’s 26th-best team according to the DVOA metric, per FTN Fantasy. Indianapolis fired general manager Chris Ballard a week ago, and is now looking to recoup picks after Ballard’s botched trade for Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner left the team without any first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, with no short-term success to show for it.
Even at age 30, Nelson remains a stalwart in his ninth NFL season. Through seven weeks, he has graded out as the league’s top left guard best on Pro Football Focus’ overall grade (85.7). He will represent a major boost for the Seahawks as they pursue a second consecutive Super Bowl title, while the Colts’ offense will undoubtedly suffer from his exit.
It paints a bleak outlook for the Colts’ next 11 games. Indianapolis is already struggling offensively, ranking 24th in offensive DVOA behind a post-Achilles Daniel Jones, and now, Jones has lost the support of the best left guard in football.
The only silver lining for Indy is that they have a soft schedule; their remaining opponents have a .462 win percentage, giving them the league’s fifth-easiest slate. Still, the Colts already lost to the winless Titans at home two weeks ago, prompting Ballard’s firing, so no game will be easily attainable for them.
With the Jets off to a 2-5 start of their own, it remains to be seen whether their current leaders will get to use the franchise’s hoard of assets in 2027. Whoever is in charge, though, they will have a lion’s share of tools to build the Jets in their image.
