NFL Mock Draft: Jets Make Shocking Decision With No. 2 Pick

The Jets have a lot of potential options at No. 2 overall in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft...

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) and linebacker Arvell Reese (8) celebrate during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets struggled to find their stride last season. They were one of the worst teams in the league because of their quarterback play. There were a lot of other problems in New York than just the quarterback play, though.

Still, they have a lot to look forward to this offseason. After trading Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline, the Jets have five first round picks over the next two years, inclduing two first round picks in this year's NFL draft. This includes the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, which is their own selection.

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PFF's Gordon McGuinness recently put together a mock draft for the upcoming NFL draft. With the No. 2 pick in the first round, McGuinness shocking predicted the Jets would select Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs. This would mark the first time a safety has been taken in the top 10 since 2017, the first time a safety has been taken in the top five since 2010, and the single highest pick ever used on a safety in NFL history.

Caleb Downs could be the best player in the NFL draft

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) celebrates a defensive stop during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"Downs notched an 85.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of the past three seasons and is firmly in the conversation as the best overall player in this draft," McGuinness wrote. "Positional value will determine when he ultimately comes off the board, but look back at the 2022 NFL Draft and consider how much earlier Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton would go in a redo."

It seems like the consensus prediction is that the Jets will select Arvell Reese, Downs' teammate. But Downs is the more polished player. In fact, Downs seems like the most polished and overall best player in the draft. But safeties never go in the top five. It would be quite a risk for the Jets to make this selection, especially with Reese on the board.

Either way, Kyle Hamilton has shown that the positional value idea might be a bit outdated. The Ravens have built their defense around Hamilton. The Jets could look to land Downs, who's an even better prospect than Hamilton, and build their defense around him.

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