Ranking Every Jets Draft Class of the Last Decade: From Franchise-Changing to Forgettable

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold attempts a throw. | Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

This year's draft is extra pivotal for the future of the New York Jets after finishing just 3-14 this past season. Coming away with a strong class that starts to turn things around will help Aaron Glenn and second-year GM Darren Mougey remain employed, while a rotten batch of picks may force both towards an early New York exit.

On the plus side, the Jets own nine total selections (including the No. 2 overall pick) in this year's event, which they can use to add premium young talent who could be building blocks for a playoff return.

New York's complex draft history in recent years provides both cautionary tales and the kind of gems to look out for, which will be a help once Gang Green is on the clock.

Jets draft history: Best and worst classes of the last 10 years

No. 10: 2018

Hits:
-Nathan Shepherd, Round 3, Pick 72 (73 games, 6.0 sacks, 33 QB hits)

Misses:
- QB Sam Darnold, Round 1, Pick 3 (12-35 record, one season over 3K passing yards)

New York's 2018 class was heavily reliant on Sam Darnold working out as the No. 3 pick. He, famously, did not put it all together in the Big Apple, and the team is still lost at quarterback to this day.

Third-rounder Nathan Shepherd was the "best" in this group, but that's an extremely low bar considering his six sacks as a Jet. To their credit, this six-person class has combined to play 444 NFL games, but their impact in New York was just minimal.

No. 9: 2024

New York Jets offensive tackle Olu Fashanu (74) blocks against Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (97) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Hits:
- OT Olu Fashanu, Round 1, Pick 11 (17 starts in 2025; 74.5 pass-blocking grade from PFF)

Misses:
- WR Malachi Corey, Round 3, Pick 65 (nine games played in 2024, cut August 2025)
- QB Jordan Travis, Round 5, Pick 171 (zero games played, retired in April 2025)

The Jets' 2024 group so far appears to have just one clear hit in left tackle Olu Fashanu, but he's at least coming off of a promising first year as a full-time starter and has plenty of room to grow as a 23-year-old.

Meanwhile, WR Malachi Corley lasted just a year, QB Jordan Travis retired without playing a game for New York, and RBs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis seem like regrettable sunk costs as the team remains committed to Breece Hall as its workhorse.

No. 8: 2020

New York Jets safety Ashtyn Davis (21) celebrates his interception with teammates during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Hits:
- S Ashtyn Davis, Round 3, Pick 68 (eight INTs, 15 PDs, nine TFLs in five seasons with the Jets)

Misses:
- OT Mekhi Becton, Round 1, Pick 11 (one game played from 2021-22)
- WR Denzel Mims, Round 2, Pick 68 (676 receiving yards in three seasons with NY)

The Jets' 2020 draft class was headlined by two huge whiffs with their first two picks, Mekhi Becton and Denzel Mims. However, New York ended up getting a bit of mileage out of late-round picks in CB Bryce Hall and punter Braden Mann.

Safety Ashtyn Davis turned out to be the gem of this group, using his nose for the ball to create turnovers and disrupt opponents' plays despite starting just 22 games across 69 appearances.

No. 7: 2025

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) reacts to the play during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Potential hits:
- OT Armand Membou, Round 1, Pick 7 (17 starts as a rookie)
- TE Mason Taylor, Round 2, Pick 42 (team-high 44 receptions in 2025)
- S Malachi Moore, Round 4, Pick 130 (14 starts, 101 total tackles as a rookie)

Potential misses:
- DT Tyler Baron, Round 5, Pick 176 (six games played in 2025)

The jury is still fully out on the Jets' most recent draft class, but there's plenty to be excited about after 2025. New York not only had three starters in Armand Membou, Mason Taylor, and Malachi Moore emerge, but CB Azareye'h Thomas and LB Francisco Mauigoa both played over 300 defensive snaps as well.

Defensive tackle Tyler Baron had the roughest time of this class, appearing in just six games before landing on IR after Week 14 with a knee injury.

No. 6: 2016

New York Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg (5) throws a pass during the second half of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Hits:
- LB Jordan Jenkins, Round 3, Pick 83 (22.5 sacks, 25 TFL)
- OT Brandon Shell, Round 5, Pick 158 (49 games and 40 starts for New York)

Misses:
- LB Darron Lee, Round 1, Pick 20 (58 games, 4.0 sacks, 241 total tackles in three seasons)
- QB Christian Hackenberg, Round 2, Pick 51 (N/A)

NY's 2016 group is definitely brought down by big misses with its first-rounder (Darron Lee) and second-rounder (Christian Hackenberg), the latter of whom never even played in an NFL game during his entire career despite being the 51st overall selection.

It wasn't all bad, though, as they did snag LB Jordan Jenkins in the third round, who ended up totaling 22.5 sacks in five seasons for Gang Green. Fifth-rounder Brandon Shell started 40 games in four years, showing smart scouting and salvaging what could've been a complete disaster.

No. 5: 2021

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) drops back to pass during the first half against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Hits:
- OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, Round 1, Pick 14 (when healthy, a valuable part of the OL)
- LB Jamien Sherwood, Round 5, Pick 146 (73 games, 389 total tackles over five seasons)

Misses:
- QB Zach Wilson, Round 1, Pick 2 (12-21 record, fewer than 2,400 passing all three years)
- WR Elijah Moore, Round 2, Pick 34 (984 receiving in two seasons)

The 2021 draft was another one hurt by a top QB pick (Zach Wilson). That said, the Jets came away with several playable and even starting guys. Though Elijah Moore only lasted two seasons, he at least made an impact with over 440 receiving yards in both years. Similarly, RB Michael Carter put up over 1,500 yards from scrimmage in his first two campaigns.

Meanwhile, Alijah Vera-Tucker proved to be an influential presence on the offensive line, but injuries held him back from reaching even greater heights. Linebacker Jamien Sherwood remains with the team today despite being a fifth-round selection, thanks to his relentless motor on the field, as evidenced by his league-leading 98 solo tackles in 2024.

No. 4: 2023

New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (99) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Hits:
- EDGE Will McDonald, Round 1, Pick 15 (21.0 sacks, 25 TFL since 2023)
- OL Joe Tippmann, Round 2, Pick 43 (48 starts in three seasons)

Misses:
- OL Carter Warren, Round 4, Pick 120 (6 starts, cut in August 2025)

This is where the Jets' classes start to reveal some higher-end hits. New York did extremely well with its top two picks in 2023, nabbing an absolute stud on the edge in Will McDonald in the middle of the first round, and then selecting OL Joe Tippman right after in the second, who has become an essential piece on the interior.

Though none of their other draft classmates are with them, the Jets will take nailing two picks like this every time. It's easy to see both guys signing extensions to spend their primes with the franchise, which is a best-case scenario for any draft selection.

No. 3: 2017

New York Jets strong safety Jamal Adams (33) reacts during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Hits:
- S Jamal Adams, Round 1, Pick 6 (All-Pro First Team selection in 2019)
- S Marcus Maye, Round 2, Pick 39 (60 starts, 24 PD in five seasons)

Misses:
-WR ArDarius Stewart, Round 3, Pick 79 (82 career receiving yards)

The goal of every draft is to come away with one of the best players when looking back on the event. The Jets truly did that in 2017 with safety Jamal Adams, who made two All-Pro teams (one second, one first) in just three seasons with New York. His ballhawking nature gave Gang Green a true disruptor who could force turnovers (two INTs, six forced fumbles) and throw opponents off their game plan (25 PD, 28 TFL)

That's not even to mention that Marcus Maye was the team's next pick in the second round. He was a legitimate force in the secondary (six INTs, 24 PD, nine TFL) for five seasons, and his tenure would've been even better if he hadn't logged only six appearances in both 2018 and 2021.

None of NY's other seven picks played more than 24 games in the NFL, and even though Adams' Jets stint quickly turned sour, there's no denying how good the franchise did with the Adams-Maye pairing.

No. 2: 2019

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95) before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Hits:
- DT Quinnen Williams, Round 1, Pick 3 (101 starts in 6.5 seasons, eight forced fumbles)

Misses:
- LB Jachai Polite, Round 3, Pick 68 (zero games played for NY)

The 2019 draft class gets the slight edge over the 2017 draft class due to the longevity of its top pick. Quinnen Williams was the lynchpin of New York's defensive line for 6.5 seasons, snagging an All-Pro First Team nod along the way and four Pro Bowl selections.

When all was said and done, Williams finished with a whopping 40.0 sacks, good for No. 11 on the franchise's all-time leaderboard. His 59 tackles for loss are No. 5, and he's second with 101 QB hits (trailing only Muhammad Wilkerson's 103).

The Williams selection goes down as one of the best and most impactful in New York's recent history, making this the second-best class of the decade despite little notable Jets contributions from the others.

No. 1: 2022

Hits:
- CB Sauce Gardner, Round 1, Pick 4 (Defensive Rookie of the Year, two First Team All-Pro nods)
- WR Garrett Wilson, Round 1, Pick 10 (3,644 receiving yards, 18 TDs)
- EDGE Jermaine Johnson, Round 1, Pick 26 (13.0 career sacks)
- RB Breece Hall, Round 2, 36 (Over 5K yards from scrimmage since 2022)

Misses:
- TE Jeremy Rucket, Round 3, Pick 101 (443 rec. yards in four seasons)

Whenever a team uses three first-round picks in a year and spends other draft capital to do so, they better hit. The Jets luckily did just that, securing cornerstones at several key positions in the first round of 2022, plus picking up Hall to boot at the start of the second.

Overall, that was four Pro Bowl-quality talents in just one year, and each guy still is or at least once looked like one of the best young talents at his position. Though Gardner and Johnson have since moved on, Wilson and Hall seem to be key parts of New York's latest turnaround efforts.

No Jets draft in the last decade comes close to matching the ceiling or sheer amount of talent from this class. Given it was only a few years ago, hopefully, New York can dig deep and pull out a similar haul in 2026 with their draft ammo on hand.