Track every NY Jets pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after David Bailey goes No. 2 overall
Coming off yet another brutal season, the New York Jets were looking to find some building blocks for the present and future when they took the podium Thursday night in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
The Jets selected Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the first pick. Bailey, at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, is a talented pass rusher who had 14 1/2 sacks last season and fills an immediate need.
"I feel like this organization is trending in the right way," Bailey said. "I'm just ready to work."
A little over an hour after selecting Bailey, New York took Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the 16th overall selection.
Then the Jets traded a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder to the San Francisco 49ers to move back into the first round at No. 30 and took Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who was Mendoza's top target last season.
The Jets finished 3-14 last season and missed the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season, the longest active postseason drought across all major North American professional sports leagues.
Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey were largely given a pass during their first season on the Jets' sideline, but are under considerable pressure to land more talented players by the time the draft concludes on Saturday.
List of Jets draft picks for 2026
The Jets ended up with eight picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Here's the updated list of their draft picks:
- Round 1, Pick 2: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech
- Round 1, Pick 16 (from Colts): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
- Round 1, Pick 30 (from 49ers): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
- Round 2, Pick 18 (from Lions): D'Angelo Ponds, CB Indiana
- Round 4, Pick 3: Darrell Jackson Jr., DT Florida State
- Round 4, Pick 10 (from Bengals): Cade Klubnik, QB Clemson
- Round 6, Pick 7 (from Browns, via Seahawks): Anez Cooper, G Miami
- Round 7, Pick 12 (from Raiders, via Bills and Cowboys): VJ Payne, SAF Kansas State
Players the Jets drafted in the first round
The Jets had several cracks at getting impact players in the first round, as they entered the draft with the No. 2 and No. 16 picks, and later added No. 30 overall.
The Jets used their first pick on Bailey, but Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese had also been linked to the team throughout the offseason. The New York Giants selected Reese, who can play on the edge, but is more known for his elite play against the run, at No. 5.
At 16, the Jets were thought to be looking for a wide receiver, but they passed on the best available, Cooper and USC's Makai Lemon, for Sadiq, a 6-3, 245-pounder who had 51 receptions, 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season for Oregon.
"I can create separation, but I can also go hit someone," Sadiq said. "Obviously the NFL is different and I have to clean some things up. But man ... I'm not going to be scared to go hit somebody."
Then at 30, the Jets landed Cooper, an explosive-albeit-smaller receiver who can line up in the slot and out wide and possesses home run ability. The 6-foot, 200-pounder had 69 receptions, 937 yards and 13 touchdowns at Indiana in 2025.
"Any time you bring guys with a winning background on your team, that only helps the morale of your team," Glenn said. "To get three first-round picks and the caliber of guys that we got -- the personality, the mentality, the football character -- all those things are huge bringing those guys on the team."
