Mock Draft Monday 4/27 '26
Jorja Interlude
Jorja Interlude
- ‘26 NFL Draft Recap (Jets & Giants)
-YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake’s Jorja Interlude, which features Jorja Smith, who was an up-and-coming singer from the UK.
The song samples Drake’s Doing It Wrong, which features the harmonica solo originally played by none other than Stevie Wonder. Pretty cool!
On to the ball…
Quick bit about each of New York’s draft selections…
R1 (5): Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
The New York Football Giants took Arvell Reese after months of speculation that he’d end up with the Jets at the #2 pick. With the Jets, the thought was they’d be converting him to a full-time pass rusher. However, according to John Harbaugh, the Giants plan to unleash Reese as a stand-up middle linebacker. Still just 20 years old until the end of training camp, Reese is still very much a raw prospect. As a freshman in ‘23, he appeared mostly on special teams and dealt with a concussion that sidelined him for multiple weeks. As a sophomore in ‘24, Reese saw an uptick in playing time, but was still buried behind an upperclassmen linebacker room that took up most of the snaps as National Champions. Last season was his first extensive time as a starter, and he became an All-American. Ohio State split Reese’s usage about 50-50 between playing him on the edge and middle linebacker. Given the way the Giants plan to use his versatility, he could very well be a much higher ceiling version of Jamie Collins or Kyle Van Noy.
R1 (10): Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Rather than pairing Caleb Downs with Arvell Reese in the pros, the Giants elected to draft Francis Mauigoa in an effort to beef up their offensive line. The younger brother of the Jets backup LB Kiko Mauigoa, Francis has three years of quality starting experience at Right Tackle. With Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor penciled in as the Giants’ tackles for the foreseeable future, Mauigoa’s NFL career will begin at guard inside. The move for the ‘25 1st All-American isn’t a total surprise, given that the Giants showed a ton of interest in Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency. While there have been reports that he may eventually need surgery for a herniated disk in his back, Mauigoa never missed a single game during his time at Miami. This season, Mauigoa is expected to start at RG and should be a very impactful player to an offensive line that desperately needs some stability in its interior. Eventually, he’ll likely end up back at Right Tackle.
R2 (37): Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Between Paulson Abedo, Deonte Banks, and Andru Phillips last season, the G-Men had one of the worst run defense group of corners in the NFL. Colton Hood should immediately fix that, as he is a physical outside corner who almost tackles like a hard-hitting safety. With three seasons of college production at three separate schools, Hood has proven he can play multiple schemes. It appears John Harbaugh wants to emphasize press coverage, and jamming WRs is one of Hood’s strengths. Considering the Giants can essentially get out of Abedo’s contract after this season, Hood will likely be the heir apparent to a starting role and could even win a job this training camp.
R3 (74): Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Entering Friday night, the Giants didn’t own a 3rd-round pick, having sent it to Houston to draft Jaxson Dart last year. Thus, they jumped back into the 3rd Round in ‘25 by trading away this year’s 4th and 5th Round pick, along with next year’s 4th Round pick. Clearly, the Giants really coveted Malachi Fields and for good reason. At 6’4” with the ability to high point the ball and use his size to block, Fields should be a very solid compliment to Malik Nabers. He may not have the elite straight-line speed to burn NFL defenses, but he was plenty effective at averaging 17.5 yards per catch for the Irish in ‘25. Although Darius Slayton is still currently on the team, it would be no surprise if Fields took over the #2 WR job by the middle of the autumn.
R6 (186): Bobby Jamison-Travis, DT, Auburn
The Giants began their Day 3 in the 6th Round by drafting Bobby Jamison-Travis. To even make the NFL, Jamison-Travis had a long path, beginning at Iowa Western Community College in 2020. After three seasons of JUCO, the defensive tackle broke out in ‘22, which led him to transfer to Auburn. However, once he became a Tiger, he redshirted in ‘23, before seeing significant snaps the past two seasons. Playing the majority of his snaps at nose tackle, the Giants likely view the 6’4” and 322 lbs. lineman as a depth piece on their defensive line.
R6 (192): J.C. Davis, OT, Illinois
NYG selected their second offensive lineman in the 6th Round with J.C. Davis (no relation in case you’re wondering). A 5-year college starter at Left Tackle, Davis began his career at Contra Costa College before playing two seasons at New Mexico and finishing with two seasons at Illinois. In over 1,600 passing snaps, the blindside tackle only allowed 8 sacks throughout his collegiate career. He projects to be compete for the Giants swing tackle role as a backup his rookie season.
R6 (193): Jack Kelly, LB, BYU
With the last pick of their ‘26 NFL Draft, the Giants selected the hybrid linebacker, Jack Kelly. Before playing for BYU for the past two seasons, Kelly began his collegiate career at Weber State. As a freshman, he played almost exclusively on the edge as a pass rusher and finished with 7 sacks. As a sophomore, he transitioned to more of a linebacker role and was even better at finding the QB with 11 sacks. After his two seasons with Weber State, Kelly continued to play a mix of edge rusher and stand-up outside linebacker. While he may have run a 4.57 40-time, I’m not sure he’s got the game speed to play standup linebacker in the NFL. He’ll likely need to convert to a full-time edge while competing for snaps on special teams coverage. Very good college player, but will need to reinvent himself in the pros.
UDFA: Dominic Zvada, K, Michigan
Perhaps the most impactful of the UDFAs the Giants signed after the draft was the Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada. He’ll compete with former Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders. After a fairly good 7 seasons with the Phins, Sanders missed last year with a hip injury and was released with Miami’s new regime. Zvada, as a junior, was a ‘24 2nd Team All-American coming off a down senior season. He has a big leg, hitting on 84% of his collegiate kicks from beyond 50 yards. Given that John Harbaugh made his bones as a special teams coach and typically had a good kicker during his time in Baltimore, this should be a good competition. Perhaps the Jets will sign the loser of the two.
R1 (2): David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
The Jets began their ‘26 NFL Draft by providing the draft some mystery until David Bailey’s name was called. The star pass rusher’s collegiate career began at Stanford. In 3 seasons with the Cardinals, Bailey graduated early while recording a modest 19.5 TFLs with 14.5 sacks. Before transferring to Texas Tech last season, I thought he was going to be an underrated Day 2 prospect. Gotta admit, I didn’t see him turning into a 1st Team All-American his senior year. Bailey matched his career sack total at Stanford by leading the nation in sacks (14.5) in ‘25. These also weren’t fluke sacks, as he also had 23 QB Hits and 43 QB Hurries, constantly generating pressure. As simple as it sounds, his greatest strength when rushing the passer isn’t necessarily a single move, but his elite closing speed when the passer is within his grasp. If everything goes right for Bailey in the pros, he could become a Von Miller-type pass rusher, who was also the #2 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
R1 (16): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Using the first Colts 1st Round pick from the Sauce Gardner midseason trade, the Jets selected Kenyon Sadiq. The 6’3” Oregon TE tested off the charts at the NFL combine by running a 4.39 40-time. As a junior in ‘25, Sadiq had his most productive season with 51 catches for 560 yards and 8 TDs. In the two years prior, he combined to catch just 29 passes for 332 yards and 3 scores, but, in fairness, he wasn’t featured much because Oregon was littered with NFL talent such as Troy Franklin, Tez Johnson, Bucky Irving, and Terrance Ferguson. With the Jets, he’ll likely line up in the slot, as an H-Back, and play a bit of in-line TE. Aside from Garrett Wilson, Sadiq should see the most targets on the team and be used a ton in the screen game. He projects as a bit bigger version of Quincy Enunwa.
R1 (30): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Right before the end of Round 1, the Jets traded up to snag their 2nd pass catcher on Thursday night in Omar Cooper Jr. The Indiana WR’s collegiate career got off to a slow start in part because his tenure with the Hoosiers predated HC Curt Cignetti. After his first two seasons of mostly contributing on special teams, Cooper Jr. flashed serious playmaking potential in ‘24 when he averaged 21.2 yards per catch with 7 TDs. Last season with Fernando Mendoza, Cooper Jr. led the Hoosiers in catches (69) and receiving yards (937) while scoring 13 TDs. While he’s only 6’ tall, Cooper Jr. should have the ability to play on the outside with no problem. He has excellent hands that came down with some of the most clutch contested catches displayed throughout the ‘25 National Championship-winning season. If he gets the ball in space, he almost turns into an RB and rarely ever gets caught from behind. The Jerricho Cotchery comparisons are lofty, but warranted.
R2 (50): D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
My favorite pick of the Jets draft would have to be D’Angelo Ponds. The undersized, but scrappy CB would’ve gone at least 30 picks before he did if he were a couple of inches taller. Out of Miami, Ponds went to the same high school as Jeremiah Smith, so he paired up with the best WR in college since grade school. His collegiate career began at James Madison with Coach Cig before transferring with his head coach to Indiana. He improved every year under Cignetti, as he was named a Freshman All-American in ‘23, 1st Team All-Big Ten in ‘24, and a 2nd Team AP All-American in ‘25. In 41 games, Ponds broke up 33 passes and picked off 7 more. The ultra-competitor corner not only plays with a chip on his shoulder but also with some absurd quick-twitch. I’d expect Ponds to get a real opportunity to win a starting role on the outside and, at the very least, earn plenty of snaps in the slot.
R4 (103): Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State
Listed at 6’5” and 315 lbs., Darrell Jackson Jr. gives the Jets yet another massive interior lineman on their defensive front. He has three years of starting experience between his time at Miami and Florida State. In 36 career starts, Jackson had 12 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, and 46 QB Hurries. The Jets believe there is untapped potential in Jackson’s 7’2” wingspan, as he plays too upright and could be better with more refined technique. Given the Jets’ other additions to their defensive line this offseason, the FSU DT likely won’t get much action to begin the year.
R4 (110): Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
In order to draft Cade Klubnik within the first ten picks of Day 3, the Jets traded away two later 4th Round picks to move up. This decision has drawn some criticism, but it is a bit overblown. Ranked the #1 QB recruit of his class, Klubnik entered Clemson with sky-high expectations that he nearly met his junior year in ‘24. Klubnik led the Clemson Tigers to the College Football Playoff birth, throwing for 36 TDs and rushing 7 more. Considered a 1st Round pick this time last year, he regressed in his senior year while dealing with an ankle injury that hampered his dual-threat ability. Before the draft, I mocked Klubnik as the New York Giants long-term backup to Jaxson Dart because they share similar play styles. Although he lacks Dart’s arm talent, Klubnik is an interesting option as a clipboard holder.
R6 (188): Anez Cooper, OG, Miami
For the past three seasons, Anez Cooper played next to Francis Mauigoa on the right side of the Miami Hurricanes’ behemoth of an offensive line. With over 40 career starts at Right Guard, Cooper has proven to be an above-average pass blocker, allowing just 7 career sacks in nearly 1,800 pass-blocking snaps. Despite his size, the 2nd Team All-SEC guard has been considered a below-average run blocker, and his weakness is getting out in space. This selection, the Jets are more likely to view Joe Tippmann as the starting guard and backup center. Cooper will likely provide depth as a rookie before competing for a starting guard spot in ‘27.
R7 (228): VJ Payne, S, Kansas State
The Jets’ final draft selection on Saturday was a flier on VJ Payne. The versatile safety never missed a game in college due to injury and was a team captain his senior year for the Wildcats. At 6’3” with 4.4 40 speed, Payne draws physical comparisons to the likes of Seattle’s Nick Emmanwori. His potential specialty would be of a big-bodied DB that can defend TEs, but he’ll likely begin his NFL career on special teams coverage.
UDFA: Nathan Voorhis, EDGE, Ball State
One of the first undrafted free agent signings the Jets made on Saturday evening was Nathan Voorhis. From Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, the Ball State pass rusher grew up a Jets fan and took to Twitter to share a memory. Voorhis collegiate career began at UConn, where he struggled to find much playing time. He transferred to Bryant University, where he flashed potential with 6 sacks at the FCS level. Last season, Voorhis played at Ball State, where he finished his collegiate career with an impressive 12 sacks and 17 TFLs. Although he’s a bit undersized for edge in the NFL, the 1st All-MAC selection will compete with the likes of Tyler Baron and Braiden McGregor for one of the final backup edge spots on the roster.
