Jets Unlikely — But Not Impossible — Path To No. 1 Pick

The New York Jets need a quarterback...

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There is just one week left in the 2025 National Football League regular season.

That means the Jets have one more opportunity to move up -- or backwards -- in the 2026 NFL Draft order. After losing against the New England Patriots on Sunday, New York went from being slated for the No. 4 pick, to the No. 3 pick. The Las Vegas Raiders would have the No. 1 pick followed by the New York Giants at No. 2. The Raiders have the worst record in football at 2-14. The Jets, Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals all have 3-13 records.

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The Raiders and Giants faced off on Sunday and Las Vegas' loss significantly hurt New York's chances at the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the dream isn't completely dead. Matt O'Leary, host of the. "Just Jets" podcast shared a graphic on X on Monday showing all the help New York needs.

Could the Jets move up?

Dec 21, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn during warm ups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

It's a longshot but here is what needs to happen for the #Jets to land the number 1 pick pic.twitter.com/QJ9stqciML

— Matt O'Leary (@MattOLearyNY) December 29, 2025

If you're a Jets fan, unfortunately, you shouldn't get your hopes up. ESPN's Seth Walder noted that the Jets have a 0.1 percent chance at landing the top spot.

Updated draft forecast!

Same caveat: does not account for possibility of resting starters in Week 18. https://t.co/e1MOXkQyDZ pic.twitter.com/IuLoA51wqK

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 29, 2025

If the Jets lose in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills, that would almost guarantee New York has at least the No. 3 pick, unless something crazy happens based on strength of schedule. If the Jets were to lose and the Giants were to beat the Dallas Cowboys, that would at least give New York a chance of moving up to No. 2. But it will be tough to get all the way up to No. 1.

There is plenty of time to go until the 2026 NFL Draft. We're going to see endless noise, speculation, and potential trades. For the Jets, they need a quarterback. Fernando Mendoza arguably is the top quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft and after winning the Heisman Trophy seemingly has the inside track to being the top pick. Unfortunately for the Jets, the Raiders also need a quarterback.

If the Jets end up with a top-three pick, that will certainly help the team's chances of getting a signal-caller, but there's one more week to go and surely things can still shift.

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