Early Jets Draft Buzz Reveals Consensus No. 2 Pick for New York

The New York Jets finished last season with one of the worst records in football, which earned them a top draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

They also opted to trade Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys and Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, which landed them more draft capital in the top two rounds of the upcoming draft. As a result, the Jets can't afford to miss with their top picks.

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FOX Sports' Rob Rang recently put together a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. With the No. 2 overall pick, Rang projected the Jets would select Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese after his huge season with the Buckeyes.

Arvell Reese is the consensus pick for the Jets at No. 2 overall

Ohio State Buckeyes edge rusher Arvell Rees — Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) moves the ball while defended by Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) in the fourth quarter during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

"Any chance that the Raiders would move out of the first pick or take anyone other than Mendoza seemingly ended once Kubiak agreed to become head coach," Rang wrote. "While perhaps disappointing for Jets fans, it does provide general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn with plenty of notice that their best chance at finding realistic competition for Justin Fields is probably through free agency or trading for a veteran.

"Mougey has made bold trades before, of course, peddling the Jets’ most impactful defenders — Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams — in a November fire sale. In a class relatively lacking in top-end talent, Reese is one of a handful of the few true elite talents, profiling similarly to Micah Parsons."

Rang joined a long list of draft experts who have predicted the Jets to select Reese with the No. 2 overall pick. In fact, it's practically impossible to put together a mock draft without Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 and Reese going to the Jets at No. 2.

This is the clear pick for a few reasons.

Reese is an incredible athlete with a high motor and football IQ. He's an excellent tackler in space while possessing the speed to chase down quarterbacks or running backs during screen plays. He played the quarterback spy role very well at Ohio State, which could be valuable in the NFL with the new era of mobile quarterbacks.

Reese is also excellent off the edge, possessing the power and speed to blow by or run over opposing offensive tackles. His skill set is seemingly one of one in this draft class.

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