NO MARCH FOR ARCH
Gang Green still needs a franchise QB and they own three first-round picks in next spring’s draft that is expected to be rich in signal callers like Arch Manning and Dante Moore. There is a segment of New York Jets fans who see the stars aligning and are calling for another tank job in 2026.
No thanks.
There comes a time in every rebuild when being competitive is more important than draft position. Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey have built a young core that needs to develop camaraderie, chemistry, and confidence. Another 3-14 season kills that narrative.
The quickest path to respectability is for the Jets to play competitive football and establish some continuity with the coaching staff, front office, and players. I’ve been on the “tank bandwagon” multiple times since the Green-and-White last made the playoffs in 2010.
Not this year.
Losing is a disease that infects the locker room, gets coaches fired, shakes up front offices, and sets teams back.
Let’s root for some wins in 2026.
COLTS, COWBOYS AND PACKERS
Since old habits die hard, if you want to root for losses, you’re still in luck.
From last season’s Sauce Gardner trade, the Jets own the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round pick. The Quinnen Williams deal also gives them the better of the Dallas Cowboys’ two first-rounders — their own or the one acquired from the Green Bay Packers in the Micah Parsons trade.
That’s three teams to root against every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday (with an occasional Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday thrown in).
13 COLLEGE QBs TO WATCH
We’ve established that you should root for the Jets to win, and the Colts, Cowboys, and Packers to lose. Now, let’s give you some players to scout on Saturdays.
Back in May, Todd McShay and Steve Muench discussed the 2027 NFL Draft QB class on a podcast they titled “Our Way-Too-Early 2027 QB Preview.” They named 13 QBs, 14 if you include Brendan Sorsby, who has since been permanently suspended by the NCAA.
They speculated that when all is said and done, the 2027 QB class could rank up there with 1983 (John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino) and 2024 (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye).
McShay’s preseason Top 13 College QBs:
- Arch Manning, Texas
- Dante Moore, Oregon
- LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame
- Julian Sayin, Ohio State
- Sam Leavitt, LSU
- Darian Mensah, Miami
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
- Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
- Josh Hoover, Indiana
- Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
- Jayden Maiava, USC
- John Mateer, Oklahoma
FRANCHISE FIRST-ROUND QBs
We’ll close out this NFL Draft/QB-themed “4 Things Jets” by listing the seven QBs that the New York Jets have drafted in the first round:
1965 — Joe Namath, Alabama
1976 — Richard Todd, Alabama
1983 — Ken O’Brien, UC Davis
2000 — Chad Pennington, Marshall
2009 — Mark Sanchez, USC
2018 — Sam Darnold, USC
2021 — Zach Wilson, BYU
2027 — TBD
ICYMI “New York Jets: Answer Our Followers’ Biggest Training Camp Questions”