Jets Are Getting Snubbed in 'Worst to First' Ranking After Further Review

NFL history is a fickle thing. Almost every year, a team considered bad one year can turn it around in a major way and reach the playoffs.

The "worst to first" moniker has followed teams around the league. In 2008, it was the Miami Dolphins. In 1999, it was the Los Angeles Rams.

The New York Jets are hoping to be this year's iteration, even if it is unlikely in a division with the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, two teams that made the playoffs last season, with the latter reaching the Super Bowl.

Being in the AFC East is a difficult task for New York. That's why Adam Schatz of ESPN rated the team with the sixth-best odds to complete the "worst to first" moniker.

Out of eight divisions.

Should their odds be as bad as they are listed? In the end, that may not be the case.

Can the Jets go from worst to first in 2026?

The Jets are coming off a year in which they finished 3-14 and changed their entire assistant coaching staff. The jury is still out on head coach Aaron Glenn, and an infusion of veteran players was also brought in.

All of that is expected to improve the team's win total - if only by a few games.

"The Jets aren't the worst team in their division according to the FPI!" Schatz said. "That would be the Dolphins. So while we have the Jets' odds of winning an AFC East title very low, they aren't the lowest."

Schatz also highlighted the team's deep 2026 draft class with four draft selections in the first 50 overall picks as a reason for optimism.

"Most likely, those rookies will represent a range of performances, from excellent to disappointing," Schatz explained. "But the Jets need all four of them to be excellent right away if they're going to make a run at their division foes, the Bills and Patriots."

While there may be obvious reasons why the team won't be considered true contenders to take down the Bills or Patriots, to think the team only has the sixth-best odds among the other bottom dwellers is simply wrong.

Organizations like the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders are ranked ahead of them. While the Giants upgraded their coaching staff, they are already dealing with a rash of injuries in OTAs and might not have Malik Nabers to start the season.

The Titans may be in the AFC South, but it's not like former Jets head coach Robert Saleh has proven himself at all. And for the Raiders, being in a division with the Denver Broncos, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert isn't an easy plight.

The point? The Jets might have a difficult path ahead of them. But it's obvious their odds shouldn't be lower than the Raiders or Titans. At the very least, they have more veterans to rely on throughout the upcoming season.

Time will tell if that ends up working out, though.

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