3 Jets Veterans on the Chopping Block After Three First-Round Picks

New York Jets wide receiver Irvin Charles (19) takes the field against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

For all intents and purposes, the New York Jets handled their business on the first day of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night. With the second overall selection, the Jets took pass rusher David Bailey, who will be a great running mate for Will McDonald IV.

Then, with their second pick at No. 16, the Jets didn’t take a wide receiver. Instead, they took the best offensive player available on the board – Kenyon Sadiq. Sadiq’s addition will give the Jets a dynamic tight end tandem with Mason Taylor.

Lastly, the Jets traded the Nos. 33rd and 179th picks to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the No. 30th pick to take former Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. With New York adding an unprecedented three new players, one now has to wonder which veterans could be on thin ice in the Big Apple.

Below, we’ll take a look at three veterans who might need to look over their shoulders as the Jets revamped their offense and added more talent to the defensive line, all in one night.

1. Jelani Woods

With the selection of Sadiq, the Jets can comfortably move Jeremy Ruckert to the TE3 spot, who was given a two-year extension late last season. If that’s the case, veteran tight end Jelani Woods could be the odd man out on the Jets’ offense.

The 27-year-old Woods was signed to a cheap one-year extension worth $1.175 million before NFL free agency began last month. The 6-foot-7, 253-pound tight end appeared in four games for the Jets after being claimed off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts at the end of the preseason.

He didn’t do much in those four contests, totaling one reception (three targets) for four yards. It was a far cry from what Woods did in 2022 as a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts, where he had 25 receptions (40 targets) for 312 yards and three touchdowns.

Now, that being said, it’s not impossible to think the Jets won’t keep four tight ends, as injuries could happen. However, if the Jets want to keep more players at another position, Woods could be kicked to the curb.

2. Kingsley Jonathan

Jonathan is another player who could be on his way out of the Big Apple due to the abundance of talent at pass rusher. Before taking Bailey with the second overall pick on Thursday night, the Jets signed Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare in free agency.

Now, with the talented Bailey in the mix, Jonathan is likely competing for a practice squad spot with the Jets or another team later this year.

The 27-year-old defensive end appeared in one game with the Jets last season after he was signed to New York’s practice squad in December. In fact, this was his second stint with the club.

Before joining the Jets for another run, he spent most of the 2025 campaign with the Buffalo Bills. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman hasn’t done much on the field throughout his career. He’s racked up 11 combined tackles, three quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss across 21 career games.

The Jets would be better off using his roster spot for a younger, developmental pass rusher that could be stashed on the taxi squad.

3. Irvin Charles

The Jets don’t have many 'veteran' wideouts on their roster who could be on the chopping block. However, if there’s someone that the Jets could part ways with, it's Irvin Charles.

The 29-year-old Charles has made a name for himself as a core special teamer with the Jets over the last couple of seasons. Charles did not play a single snap last season. He was placed on the PUP list last summer after tearing his ACL on a special teams play in 2024.

Before suffering that devastating knee injury, the veteran wideout was tied for the team lead in special teams tackles with five.

Given the lack of production the Jets got from their wide receiver room in 2025, we should expect them to continue adding talent over the last two days of the draft and possibly during the undrafted free agent period. And if that were to happen, the Jets would have to part ways with Charles, who doesn’t add much on offense.