Jets' Garrett Nussmeier Buzz Getting Difficult to Ignore

American Team quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) of LSU throws the ball during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The New York Jets may or may not take a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft next week. The Jets are not a team pressed to take a young quarterback, given that they have Geno Smith and a surplus of first-round picks next year in what’s supposed to be a draft class under center.

The Jets need to use their first four picks in the first and second rounds to bolster their defense and wide receiver room. However, when Day 3 rolls around, it could allow them to take a flier on a young QB like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.

On Tuesday, Ryan Fowler of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Nussmeier had private workouts with the Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams. Last month, Nussmeier was on The Insiders and told Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero that he would be meeting with the Jets.

When you combine those two facts, plus NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah telling the media on his most recent draft call that “all signs” point to the Jets waiting until next year’s draft to take a QB (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini), that eliminates the Ty Simpson hype at No. 16, but opens the door for New York to take a chance on Nussmeier or another Day 3 QB.

Garrett Nussmeier suddenly has to be taken seriously as Jets’ draft option

Nussmeier is projected to go in the third round, according to NFL Mock Draft Database. The Jets do not have a third-round pick in next week’s draft, but they have the No. 103 overall pick at the top of the fourth round, which is an ideal spot for Nussmeier.

Along with Nussmeier, the Jets have expressed some interest in former Penn State QB Drew Allar, who could also be taken in Day 3. Connor Hughes of SNY.tv reported late last month that the Jets had Allar, along with other Penn State players, at their practice facility for private workouts.

However, as things pertain to Nussmeier, he could be an interesting QB2 option for the Jets to develop behind Smith.

Smith is only on a one-year, $3.3M deal after being traded by Las Vegas, so his future is uncertain after this season. As things currently stand, Smith’s backups are Brady Cook, an undrafted free agent last year, and Bailey Zappe, who has become a journeyman.

One could argue Nussmeier has a higher ceiling than both QBs, despite his last year at LSU not going to plan. Nussmeier played in only nine games, thanks to an abdominal injury. Despite the injury, he still completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

It was a huge step back from what Nussmeier did in 2024, where he completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

That being said, Nussmeier is an accurate pocket passer with a quick release who can get good velocity on his throws. However, don’t sleep on Nussmeier’s athleticism, as he can move a little bit inside the pocket. At the same time, he needs to improve in some elements of his game, like his footwork when it comes to handling the blitz and sometimes being a gunslinger.

But if you’re the Jets, it might not be a bad idea to take a chance on Nussmeier, given that we don’t know how next year’s class will pan out. While the hype is there, those guys are still not a sure thing, almost a year out.