Jets Mock Draft: New York Makes Bold Decision, Lands Offensive Star at No. 16

The Jets could look to bolster their offensive line in a big way ahead of the coming season...

Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis (96) and Utah Utes offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55) battle during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The New York Jets came into the offseason with a slew of different holes on their roster, but the front office has aggressively upgraded the team ahead of the upcoming season.

On offense, they added Geno Smith, among others, to bolster the offense around Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. The main upgrades came on defense, where the Jets added players like Joseph Ossai, Demario Davis, and Nahshon Wright to bolster Aaron Glenn's unit. They also made trades for players like T'Vondre Sweat and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who will come in and help improve the Jets defense that struggled all last season.

But there's still work to do, and the Jets have plenty of draft capital in the upcoming draft to continue improving their roster.

CBS Sports' Josh Edwards recently put together a mock draft for the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft. After projecting the Jets to select Arvell Reese with the No. 2 pick in the draft, Edwards projected they would land Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano at pick No. 16. Pick No. 16 was acquired in the trade that sent Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts.

Jets could bolster offensive line in the NFL draft

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano (OL22) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

"New York is no stranger to investing first-round picks in the offensive line. One (Alijah Vera-Tucker) just walked out the door as his replacement (Spencer Fano) enters," Edwards wrote. "Fano is a high-quality offensive lineman, even if there are concerns about his length to play offensive tackle. In this scenario, the Jets have bookend tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou at left and right tackle, respectively, with Fano at guard. Fano could also kick outside in a pinch."

The Jets are set at offensive tackle after Armand Membou looked like a franchise offensive lineman last year. But Fano looks more like an NFL guard than an NFL tackle, which means the Jets could take a chance on him to fill a role left by the losses of Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson.

If Makai Lemon or Jordyn Tyson is available at pick No. 16, the Jets need to take their shot to improve the wide receiver room. They've neglected it all offseason and they can't head into next season without a complementry weapon next to Wilson.

But if they're both gone, adding Fano to the offensive line would be a good move for the future.