gary kleissler'S MOCK DRAFT
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gary kleissler'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 6, 2026

Jets

  • gary kleissler DRAFTING FOR THE
    Jets
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 2 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 16 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 33 RND: 2 (NYJ)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (NYJ)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Dani Dennis-Sutton Head Shot
PICK: 44 RND: 2 (NYJ)
Dani Dennis-Sutton
DE-EDGE Penn State
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (NYJ)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Malachi Fields Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (NYJ)
Malachi Fields
WR Notre Dame
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (NYJ)
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
DE-EDGE Ohio State
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 103 RND: 4 (NYJ)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Jalen Stroman Head Shot
PICK: 175 RND: 5 (NYJ)
Jalen Stroman
S Notre Dame
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 178 RND: 5 (NYJ)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (NYJ)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Princewill Umanmielen Head Shot
PICK: 205 RND: 6 (NYJ)
Princewill Umanmielen
LB-EDGE Ole Miss
Raylen Wilson Head Shot
PICK: 212 RND: 6 (NYJ)
Raylen Wilson
LB Georgia
Malik Hartford Head Shot
PICK: 218 RND: 7 (NYJ)
Malik Hartford
S Ohio State
Jalen Thompson Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (NYJ)
Jalen Thompson
DL-EDGE Michigan State
Draft Picks Received
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (ARI)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (ARI)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Malachi Fields Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Malachi Fields
WR Notre Dame
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
DE-EDGE Ohio State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players Gained
Head Shot
Jacoby Brissett
QB
Players traded away
Head Shot
Quinnen Williams
DT
Head Shot
Sauce Gardner
CB
Head Shot
Will McDonald IV
DE
Draft Grade — Jets
Overall D
ValueC+ NeedB TradesF FutureA
A passer of the future in Mendoza, and a D, for the Jets.

The war room fell hard for Princewill Umanmielen, and it showed at the 205th overall pick: 67 picks ahead of a board that had other ideas. It grades a D, and the process earned it.

They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. Whatever Fernando Mendoza becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer.

If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through cornerback. The Jets indulged a want in Hill Jr. while a need in cornerback, interior defensive lineman and other spots stayed open.

Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, cornerback very much included.

Pick Analysis
Pick2 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In Round 1, Pick 2 they get a passer to set the clock by. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick16 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In the 16th pick they get a downhill thumper at linebacker at fair value. More want than need.
Pick33 Rnd2 Anthony Hill Jr.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Anthony Hill Jr. adds a linebacker and leaves cornerback, interior defensive lineman and other spots untouched.
Pick34 Rnd2 Sonny Styles
They bypassed pressing needs at cornerback, interior defensive lineman and other spots to take Sonny Styles, a linebacker that was not the priority.
Pick44 Rnd2 Dani Dennis-Sutton
They jumped the gun on Dani Dennis-Sutton, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick65 Rnd3 A.J. Haulcy
No drama and no debate, A.J. Haulcy went about where he belonged in pick No. 65. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick82 Rnd3 Malachi Fields
Malachi Fields in the Round 3 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick97 Rnd3 Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
A big swing on Kenyatta Jackson Jr. at the 97th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick103 Rnd4 Drew Allar
They reached a country mile for Drew Allar at the 103rd pick, and the board is aghast. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick175 Rnd5 Jalen Stroman
Fair-plus on Jalen Stroman, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick178 Rnd5 Max Iheanachor
Max Iheanachor at pick No. 178 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick194 Rnd6 Patrick Payton
A real head-scratcher, Patrick Payton in slot 194 is miles ahead of his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick205 Rnd6 Princewill Umanmielen
Value said wait; Princewill Umanmielen in pick 205 says they were not listening. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick212 Rnd6 Raylen Wilson
They liked Raylen Wilson enough to skip the value, taking him in Round 6, Pick 31. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick218 Rnd7 Malik Hartford
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Malik Hartford. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick240 Rnd7 Jalen Thompson
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jalen Thompson in pick 240, miles early. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.