The Jets should be in the market to take the best player available with both their first-round picks…
The New York Jets are in a tough spot with their roster right now, but they have all the assets imaginable to bolster their roster. They have more money to spend in free agency than a large chunk of the league. They shouldn’t struggle to sign the free agents they want.
They also have two draft selections in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. To make matters better, they have the top selection in the second round, too, as well as three first rounders in the 2027 NFL Draft. But the Jets can’t afford to miss with these draft picks.
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The Athletic recently put together a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. With the No. 2 pick in the first round, The Athletic’s Ralph Russo projected the Jets would select Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. as their next defensive star.
“Scouts are worried about his short arms and less-than-ideal build for an edge rusher, but Bain was a force against top competition all season and did not slow down at all in the College Football Playoff,” Russo wrote. “Bain was one of the nation’s top freshmen in 2023 before his sophomore season was undercut by injuries, so it’s not as if he just popped in his final season. A higher sack total (9.5 in 16 games) would be nice to see, but five of those came during the Hurricanes’ four-game CFP run. Miami coaches rave about Bain’s professionalism.”
The Jets need to land a defensive star at pick No. 2, unless they opt to trade down.
Bain is one of the best prospects in the entire draft. He’s a very polished edge rusher with the ability to quickly emerge as a star in the NFL. Among the edge rushers in the draft class, Bain might be the most NFL-ready option on the market.
The superstar edge rusher has a chance to boost his draft stock at the NFL Draft Combine and in his pre-draft interviews. If he can hit big at the combine and in his interviews with the Jets, there’s a chance he works his way up to pick No. 2.
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