Mock Draft Monday 2/2 '26
Too Good
Too Good
- Jets Mock Draft
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake’s Too Good featuring Rihanna. It’s the 16th track off his album Views, since I gotta follow the Drake albums in chronological order because I’m too lazy to pick a song every Monday.
After making hit records like What’s My Name, Take Care, and Work, this would be the last time the former couple would work together on a song. Not as good as their original two, Work and Too Good were still solid dancehall hits.
On to the ball…
Jets Mock Draft (February Edition)
Round 1
- Drafting a Safety with the #2 pick will give Jets fans Jamal Adams PTSD, and they’ll surely get clowned by the NFL media, but they can’t mess up this pick. Caleb Downs is as blue-chip a prospect as they come and has been the best defensive player in College Football the past two seasons. Before his two seasons with the Buckeyes, Downs was a star freshman under Nick Saban and was teammates with Jets rookie strong safety Malachi Moore. During the College Football Playoffs this year, Saban said, “(Caleb Downs) is one of the most complete people that I've ever had the opportunity to coach. He's a great person, he's a great student, and he's a phenomenal football player -- a great competitor. His competitive IQ, how he responds on the field and reacts instinctively, it's in the top tier of all players, all-time." Downs is a do-it-all playmaking safety that excels in centerfield, in the box, or lined up in the slot. This past season, he was in coverage on 39 targets, allowing just 26 catches for 6.6 yards per catch. He’s picked off two passes in each of his three seasons in College and under Saban was an elite punt returner. Since they can’t land the QB, I think you gotta go with the player that you can best envision being around in the NFL a decade from now.
- After passing up on a stud defensive lineman like Rueben Bain Jr., Peter Woods is the selection midway through the 1st Round. Like Bain Jr., Woods apparently has shorter-than-ideal arms, but was a versatile enough piece that could play all over the Clemson defensive line. He was named the Freshman Interior Defender of the Year in ‘23, spent time playing both inside & out on the edge in ‘24, and was named a 2nd Team All-American in ‘25. Peter Woods didn’t have an overwhelming production in college with 6 sacks and 14.5 TFLs in three seasons, but was a plus run defender with plenty of potential as a pass rusher.
Round 2
- With the first pick on Night 2, R Mason Thomas gives the Jets another explosive defender. At 6’2” and 250 lbs., he’ll almost exclusively be used off the edge. During the past two seasons as a starter with the Sooners, Thomas had 15.5 sacks, 23 TFLs, 13 QB Hits, and 35 QB Hurries. He has great bend and quickness to get around the corner, while his compact frame can help bull rush unsuspecting tackles. Not only did the Jets’ defense finish without a single interception, but their 26 sacks on the year was 2nd worst in the NFL. Not only does pass-rush pressure lead to more sacks, but it also, of course, leads to more turnovers.
- If D’Angelo Ponds were 2 inches taller, he’d be 1st Round pick without a doubt. Aaron Glenn, who is also 5’9” and was a quick-twitchy corner, may see a lot of himself in Ponds. In his three seasons playing under Coach Cig at JMU and Indiana, Ponds finished with 7 INTs and 26 pass breakups. In his two seasons with the Hoosiers, Ponds allowed just one touchdown while in coverage. Adding Downs and Ponds to the Jets’ defense would almost certainly end their interception drought soon.
Round 4
- At this point, with 5 defensive players in their first five selections, there may be rioting at 1 Jets Drive in Florham Park, but Dani Dennis-Sutton would again upgrade their pass rush potential. I’m done with both Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald. Both players are about to hit free agency in the next couple of seasons, and they can go get paid somewhere else. DDS played Robin to Abdul Carter’s Batman of a season at Penn State in ‘24. During the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff 3-game run, Dennis-Sutton had 4.5 sacks with 6 TFLs. He then backed up his late-season heroics in ‘24 with a very solid 8.5-sack senior season. In four seasons at Happy Valley, the Nittany Lion edge rusher had 25 sacks, 36 QB Hits, and 86 Hurries. Adding Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas, and DDS should significantly improve the Jets’ pass-rushing situation.
Round 5
- The Jets are expected to get two 5th Round compensatory picks for the departures of Hasson Reddick and Morgan Moses last offseason. Here, they finally go offense in the 5th Round with their selection of Jalon Daniels. The Kansas dual-threat QB might just be the perfect Day 3 option. With nearly 50 games under his belt, Daniels is one of the most experienced QBs of his draft class. If the Jets are going to sign a veteran bridge QB, odds are he’ll either get hurt or benched midway through the ‘26 season. From the Jets’ perspective, there shouldn’t be much concern about throwing a Day 3 QB prospect out into the wolves at some point next fall, especially if he already has more experience than most college QBs. From Daniels’ perspective, he gets a legitimate shot to prove he’s at the very least a capable backup QB. This past season, Daniels threw for a career-high 2,531 passing yards and 22 TDs. While he’s not an elite runner, he’s got three seasons of over 400 rushing yards. Given the current state of the Jets and Fernando Mendoza being the only 1st Round option, they’d almost be better off waiting another year to spend premium capital on QB.
- Desmond Reid brings a shiftiness the Jets haven’t had in quite a while. I almost view Reid as a Leon Washington-type playmaker who can impact the return game and be a receiving weapon out of the backfield in the passing game. Reid missed half of last season with injuries in his senior year, but was highly productive when healthy at West Carolina for two seasons as well as with the Panthers in ‘24. Although at 5’8” he likely won’t be a bellcow back, Desmond Reid plays well above his size and isn’t a fun tackle. He’d be a nice addition, whether the Jets can keep Breece Hall or not.
Round 6
- During last week’s Senior Bowl showcase, Kevin Coleman Jr. was considered “unguardable.” After playing for four different schools in four seasons, Coleman Jr. was highly productive as an upperclassman. In the past two seasons combined at Mississippi State and Missouri, Coleman Jr. had 140 receptions, 1,664 receiving yards, and 7 TDs. What may hold him back from going earlier is that he’s sorta been pigeonholed to only play the slot. In four seasons, the 5’11” WR lined up in the slot over 90% of the time. With the Jets, he’d compete with John Metchie III for the snaps in the slot.
Round 7
- This pick is with the assumption that Breece Hall either doesn’t re-sign with the Jets or eventually demands a trade. Robert Henry Jr. is coming off a 1,000-yard season at UTSA in the American Conference. While most of his competition wasn’t filled with future NFL pros, Henry Jr. rushed for a season-high against Texas A&M. With 16 carries for 177 yards and two scores, Henry Jr. proved he can play with potential NFL talent in that game alone. Much like Desmond Reid, Henry Jr. is considered a smaller back, but one that is equally as explosive.
