The Jets filled a key need at tight end with the selection of Mason Taylor in the second round on Friday and then added cornerback Azareye’h Thomas in the third. New York currently has five selections scheduled for Saturday, including a fourth-rounder.
Let’s look at some prospects who could be on their radar:
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
The obvious place to start is with the man who has arguably been the biggest story of the draft so far. Sanders was once considered by many analysts to be a lock to be selected within the first three picks but, as it turned out, he wasn’t even selected in the first three rounds.
The assumption is that teams may have been turned off by his attitude during pre-draft interviews but, at some point, the potential value becomes too good to pass up. Scouts clearly felt at some point that Sanders had the talent to be a future starting quarterback at the NFL level and not getting drafted until Day 3 could potentially have been a humbling experience for him. With a chip on his shoulder and the pressure of being a high draft pick no longer an issue, could the Jets be tempted to take a flyer on Sanders?
Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai
The Jets continue to insist that Breece Hall is not being traded but that wouldn’t necessarily prevent the team from bringing in a running back with a Day 3 pick, as they indeed have for each of the past four drafts.
Monangai, who played five seasons of college football in New Jersey but is still only 22, has been productive and durable, but could drop to the later rounds after only running a 4.60 at his combine workout. Aaron Glenn said after the Thomas pick that he values film more than workout numbers which could suggest he’d see value in a player like Monangai.
One thing Monangai brings to the table is an ability to pick up the blitz, which many rookies struggle with. This would mean he could step right into the line-up in the event of an injury.
Clemson S RJ Mickens
The Jets have a lot of players with positional flexibility in their secondary, but Tony Adams, Andre Cisco and Isaiah Oliver are all on one-year deals, so they will be in the market for someone who can be a potential starter in the long term.
Mickens makes sense because of his connection to Glenn, who was a teammate of his father – “Big Play” Ray Mickens – in the Jets’ secondary from 1996 to 2001. Unlike his diminutive father, the 24-year-old Mickens has adequate size, but he shares some of the same playmaking abilities with seven career interceptions for the Tigers. He also impressed at the Combine with a 41.5-inch vertical while also running sub-4.5 seconds.
Purdue G Marcus Mbow
The Jets could use some quality depth at the guard positions because their current primary interior reserve, Josh Myers, has only played center at the NFL and collegiate levels. They may also be keen to find someone to start in 2026 and beyond should either John Simpson or Alijah Vera-Tucker not return next year.
Mbow was a tackle in college but is considered to lack the length to play that position at the NFL level, so he’s likely to move inside. A year on the bench to sit behind Simpson and Vera-Tucker could make for a smooth transition to the guard position for the athletic 22-year-old.
Kentucky DT Deone Walker
The Jets were widely thought to have been looking to pick up an interior defensive lineman in the third round, but there was a run on defensive tackles, so they opted to go in another direction. It’s possible they are higher on their overall depth at the position than anticipated, which could mean that they will look for upside and development potential from this deep defensive tackle class, rather than someone who can start immediately.
One of the key contributors to Glenn’s defense last season was DJ Reader and Walker is another 330-pound plus run plugger like Reader who could potentially grow into a similar role with the Jets. At Kentucky, Walker also showed some versatility, lining up on the edge at times.
South Alabama WR Jamaal Pritchett
Xavier Gipson has been the Jets’ primary slot receiver and return specialist over the past two seasons, but he hasn’t necessarily been as reliable as expected in the return game, and his offensive production and playing time fell off last year.
If the Jets want to bring in someone to compete for Gipson’s role, Pritchett could be a good option in the later rounds. He had a 1,000-yard season last year with 91 catches and also averaged over 15 yards per punt return. He’s somewhat undersized at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, but could have some potential in a slot receiver role at the pro level.
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