Jets have a A Solid First Round with Three First Round Picks in the 2026 NFL Draft

By Daniel Feurestein | Pittsburgh, PA | April 23rd, 2026

The 2026 NFL Draft is the time for the New York Jets to fill in some holes and get the best college players who can translate into professional football players. The night started with two first-round draft picks at numbers 2 and 16, bringing in important offensive players and adding a bit to the defense. Later on, at the back end of the first round, a huge trade was made by Jets GM Darren Mougey, as he gave the San Francisco 49ers their 2nd round pick at #33 and a fifth round pick at #179 of this draft for the #30 pick and got a big offensive weapon as the Jets selected edge rusher David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.

David Bailey: Edge Rusher, Texas Tech

With the second pick of the first round, the Jets selected David Bailey at Edge and will now partner up with Will McDonald on the defensive side of the ball. The 6’3″ player from Texas Tech will be a very difficult player for opposition offensive linemen to try to keep in front of them. His position is at the edge, but he plays like a slashing two-guard with explosive speed and great agility to get around the blocks, with his main objective being to sack the quarterback. Once he reaches the pocket, the entire play is over and done with, taking down the main man of the offense.

Many believe he still needs to develop a little bit more to make sure the opposition doesn’t find a way to hold him up, but once he finds that seam in the offensive line, he will take down the quarterback and force the opposition to punt the ball back to the Jets for their attempt to get a scoring drive. There is an upside, but once again, it’s how he develops and adjusts his game to make him someone to fear inside the front seven of the defense.

“Well, just first-step quickness. And that’s obvious when you watch the tape. The way he’s able to beat tackles around the edge. Don’t take him for a guy that could just, like, rush with speed around the edge. Man, there are several long arms. There are several powerful things that he’s done, you know, within his game that allow him to be able to show that he can rush with power. So, listen, we’re going to try to unlock everything that he can,” said Aaron Glenn.

Kenyon Sadiq: Tight End, Oregon

Selected at number 16 of the first round, Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is a freak of nature with his size, strength, and speed after he makes the catch. An amazing physical specimen with an incredible physique, there is some belief that Sadiq can also be used at times as a third wide receiver, or possibly in a two-tight-end formation if he is on the field with Mason Taylor and/or Jeremy Ruckert. After he makes the catch, he runs very fast and avoids tackles for fun. Great body control and can also be a strong blocker, moving the opposition’s defensive linemen up front and helping the running backs get into the end zone.

This was one of the offensive targets the Jets were looking for, and they got it with Sadiq. Adding him with Breece Hall, Taylor, Braelon Allen, and Garrett Wilson, the Jets are now looking to be on the right track in making this offense improve for a new season, and we will see when we get to training camp and preseason if Sadiq can show from the get-go that he is ready now for the NFL.

Any time you can build your tight end room the way that we have, it allows you to get in different types of packages but be able to force the defense to say, “Okay, so what are you going to do now?” And if you get a nickel, we get a chance to run the ball. You get in the base, then we get a chance to throw it. So, man, it’s going to be exciting, you know, to have him and the rest of those tight ends we have in the game at the same time,” said Glenn

Omar Cooper Jr: Wide Receiver, Indiana

The surprise of the first round. After much thought, the Jets were done and believed they would draft a wideout in the second round. Mougey contacted the San Francisco 49ers and made a huge trade, sending their second-round pick (#33) & a fifth-round pick (#179) to the Bay Area for this year’s first-round #30 pick and selected Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana. The target for Francisco Mendoza and the National Champions of College Football

At 6 feet, Cooper Jr. is a full-time slot receiver, allowing the Jets to move Wilson to the outside and become a dangerous threat alongside Adonai Mitchell. When Cooper Jr. gets the ball, he can add yards after the catch and after the contact to make plays that can be better than his days with the Hoosiers. Many thought he would be taken in the second round or at least on the second day of the NFL Draft. The Jets couldn’t wait any longer, and they made their move.

Darren Mougey’s Thoughts

“Cooper was a guy who we had good grades on. And we saw him there towards the end, an opportunity to give up a comp fifth, pick 179, to get back up and get the fifth-year option, just to make sure we got our guy. We felt really good about that. Again, to add another weapon, a guy with rack and strong hands can insert a block and has a little versatility to play inside and outside. So feel really good about that addition for the offense,” said Darren Mougey.

While some believe the David Bailey pick was a big question mark, the next two selections were home runs in Sadiq and Cooper Jr. There are some good feelings now for the Jets, and we need to see what they can do on the second day of the draft, as the Jets will now have the second and third rounds coming up. Right now, the Jets are off to a good start in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Jets made three first‑round picks and somehow managed to land in the one place this fanbase knows too well: not angry, not thrilled, just… waiting. Waiting to see if this front office finally got it right, to see if these picks become players or punchlines. New York has learned the hard way that the draft isn’t the victory; it is the development.

If you want the breakdowns that don’t sugarcoat it—the ones that tell you what these picks actually mean for the roster, the locker room, and the season ahead—subscribe to the Bad Dawg Sports Newsletter for $2 a year. No fluff or fan fiction. Just football that respects your time.

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