Confidence Meter: How I Feel About the Jets' 2027 NFL Draft Outlook One Month Into the Season

The 2026 season has just moved into October, and yet it already feels like the Jets' campaign is at a crossroads.

That only happens, of course, after you lose three straight games to NFC North foes. The Jets' most recent loss to the Bears has dropped the organization to 1-3. If the season ended today, it would be their 16th year of playoff-less football, and 11 years since they finished above .500.

Fans won't be ready to give up on the team just yet, but if the losses continue to pile up, it's clear that the team will once again be competing for a top draft pick.

Unlike in past years, though, the Jets' draft outlook is far greater than others around the league.

Jets' draft outlook heading into Week 5

The Jets own three first-round picks this year: their own, the Colts' first from the Sauce Gardner trade and whoever of the Packers and Cowboys finishes with a worse record. That gives the Jets plenty of ammo to improve the roster across the board just on Day 1.

It also gives them more bites at the apple of finding their future franchise quarterback.

The best way to secure that, of course, is by getting the top overall pick. Unfortunately for the Jets, the Colts, Packers, and Cowboys all sit at 2-2. Currently, New York heads into Week 5owning the sixth, 11th and 12th overall picks, according to Tankathon.

Those picks could get better as the season goes on. Neither the Colts nor the Packers look relatively good at the moment. But as things stand, the Jets would be on the outside looking in if they hope to potentially grab their franchise quarterback early in Round 1.

Darren Mougey talks to media at combine. — The Jets' draft outlook is promising, but they need a lot more to go wrong with the Colts and Packers/Cowboys to further improve their situation. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Will that continue for the remainder of the season? Luck may be on the team's side.

Jets' chances of a top-10 pick

According to ESPN's FBI breakdown, the Jets have a 37% chance of getting a pick inside the top 10, but only a 9% chance of getting in the top five. Much of those tallies, though, center around the Colts, Packers, and Cowboys—all with two wins—and teams like the Buccaneers, Dolphins and Titans all without a victory.

Things change quickly in the NFL, though. While the Bucs, Titans, and Dolphins have all been bad, improvement comes later in the year.

These numbers could also drastically change if injuries continue to pile up for the Colts or Packers.

Would the Packers win games without Jordan Love? The Cowboys without Dak Prescott? How about the Colts without Jonathan Taylor?

The future is bright

For as daunting as the Jets' outlook looks for their draft future and their prospects of actually winning games, the team is actually in a can't-lose situation.

The more losses that pile up, the better their draft standing is. The more they win, the more improved the team will be going forward.

Confidence meter: 10/10

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