Sure, it’s still November, but we don’t know how long this unprecedented outlook will hold, so why not strike while the iron is hot?
As things stand, the New York Jets possess an unprecedented treasure chest of resources in the 2027 NFL draft. If the season ended today, the Jets would possess three top-10 selections, giving them an opportunity to become the first team in league history to make three top-10 picks.
Without further ado, here’s an early stab at what type of haul the Jets might be able to land with those selections.
Round 1, Pick 4 (via Indianapolis)
Sitting at 2-6 after four straight losses, the openly tanking Colts have risen to the fourth overall draft slot. They were utterly demolished, 42-7, by the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first game without Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and more starters could be on their way out soon. All things considered, the fourth slot could be the floor for this pick.
For now, the Jets will happily take the fourth selection. There are a number of ways they could go here. They could select their franchise quarterback or add a blue-chip prospect at another position in what is shaping up to be an extremely talented draft… outside of the quarterback position.
Despite the hype going into the 2026 college football season, the almighty 2027 quarterback class has fallen dramatically short of expectations (what a surprise; this has never happened before!). There are some prospects who could end up impressing enough to convince a team to gamble on them near the top of the first round, but it’s shaping up to be another class devoid of no-brainer top-10 talents.
For that reason, the Jets will turn their attention elsewhere at No. 4, at least for now. Improving the pass defense continues to be one of their top non-quarterback priorities, and they have a couple of tantalizing options here.
The choice, though, is Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore. For a team that has allowed 49 touchdown passes to one interception over the last two seasons (yes, that is a real stat), cornerback remains an area where the Jets can improve immensely. Third-round pick Azareye’h Thomas has been decent in his second year, but he hasn’t shown CB1 upside yet, and the Jets can do a lot better than veteran starter Brandon Stephens.
Across three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Moore has allowed less than half of passes thrown his way to be completed (49.2%) while yielding under 10 yards per reception and a 52.3 passer rating. This year, Moore has allowed zero touchdowns and committed zero penalties across six games.
Plus, with seven career interceptions and three forced fumbles to his name, he has the playmaking knack that the Jets sorely lack. Moore can be the secondary-anchoring star that the Jets haven’t had since early in Sauce Gardner’s career. It would be poetic to draft Gardner’s eventual replacement with the pick New York acquired for him.
The Pick: Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
Round 1, Pick 6
Whether the class is strong or not, the Jets essentially have to come out of the 2027 draft with a quarterback prospect to build around.
Since officially ending the Zach Wilson experiment after 2023, New York punted on drafting a legitimate developmental quarterback in each of the last three years. They can’t afford to flirt with a half-decade of not investing in any signal-callers with franchise-changing upside.
At No. 6, the Jets snag Miami’s Darian Mensah, who is currently the No. 7 overall prospect on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board. Only 21 years old, Mensah has thrown 25 touchdowns to one interception for the 8-0 Hurricanes, while completing 80.7% of his passes and averaging 10.4 yards per attempt.
His upside is a question, as he is not known for possessing elite rushing abilities or arm strength, but the production at a young age is hard to ignore. Not to mention, in the quick-passing modern NFL, accurate pocket passers are starting to make a comeback, replacing the wave of failed Josh Allen clones, so the days of “upside” only coming in the form of 6-foot-5 track stars may be over, anyway.
The Pick: Darian Mensah, QB, Miami
Round 1, Pick 10 (via Dallas)
Excluding their long-term need at quarterback, the Jets’ biggest roster need in 2027 might be defensive tackle.
New York has been pillow-soft on the interior this year, getting pushed around against the run and creating little to no pass-rush. Quinnen Williams has been sorely missed since being dealt to Dallas.
If the Jets utilize their oodles of draft picks and cap space correctly, their starting defensive tackle duo in Week 1 of 2027 will feature two players who are not in Florham Park today, ideally, both acquired with premium assets. Defensive tackle is a critical position in today’s league (just look at the contracts and trade packages they command), and the Jets should treat it accordingly.
With their 2027 offensive weaponry already locked up, and both quarterback and cornerback addressed within the first six picks of this mock draft, the Jets can comfortably allocate premium assets to defensive tackle. That allows them to land a new anchor for their interior defensive line at No. 10: Mississippi’s Will Echoles.
The Rebels junior will still be only 20 years old when training camp begins in 2027. He played in eight games and had two tackles for loss as an 18-year-old true freshman in 2024. As a 19-year-old true sophomore in 2025, he was already perhaps the best DT in the country, leading Power Four players at the position in both total pressures (39) and defensive stops (35).
Echoles’ production has dropped off a bit so far in 2026 (18 pressures and 9 stops in 8 games), but he’s also commanding a lot more attention. That’s something the Jets lack defensively: an interior presence who demands double-teams in both phases.
The Pick: Will Echoles, DT, Mississippi
The Jets’ potentially historic haul
Before the first round is close to halfway over, the Jets can walk away with a haul that looks like this:
- Round 1, Pick 4: Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
- Round 1, Pick 6: Darian Mensah, QB, Miami
- Round 1, Pick 10: Will Echoles, DT, Mississippi
If the Jets use all three first-rounders, that will bring them to six first-round choices in the last two years, having already selected David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. in 2026.
No matter who the Jets end up selecting, they will have an embarrassment of riches to work with from a talent standpoint. Not for nothing, but it would be quite the appealing situation for a new head coach to walk into, should the Jets choose to go that route. Not only does the roster already have far more talent than its record indicates, but three top-10 picks could allow a new coach to immediately put their stamp on the roster.
A Madden Franchise Mode-esque roster is coming together in Florham Park.
