Al Iannazzone: Jets' success now and in the future in the 2026 NFL Draft rests in GM Darren Mougey
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darren Mougey sounds like someone who is renovating a room in his home.
“We're talking ceilings and floors all the time,” the Jets general manager said Tuesday.
The reality is Mougey is overseeing a major renovation project, the longest running one in the NFL.
The Jets have missed the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons and haven’t had a winning record since 2015. They have a lot of rooms that need repair and upgrades — quarterback, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback and safety to name just about every position.
An extreme makeover is needed. Aaron Glenn is trying to build a foundation, but he needs Mougey’s help to get the parts for this rebuild to move forward.
It’s only Year 2 for Mougey and by collecting premium draft capital he has positioned the Jets to make major improvements. They have two first-round picks in Thursday’s NFL Draft and three firsts in 2027.
The Jets’ next “franchise” quarterback is expected to come from next year’s draft. In this one, Mougey can attack some of the rooms that need fixing with four of the top 44 picks.
“We’re excited about the picks we have in this draft and excited about the pool of players that potentially will be there,” Mougey said. “How we use them is kind of TBD on how the board falls and all those things.”
The Jets have picks 2, 16, 33 and 44. They already know who will be available for them at 2 — everyone not named Fernando Mendoza.
“It's nice because we think we know what's going to happen at 1, and we have this pool of players,” Mougey said. “I’m like, ‘OK, let's dive in and we're going to get one of those guys.' ”
All signs point to them picking either versatile linebacker/defensive end Arvell Reese from Ohio State or Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. That’s what led to Mougey mentioning “ceilings and floors” in projecting these prospects during his pre-draft news conference Tuesday morning.
So much of the talk regarding the Jets leading up to the draft has been about whether they will take the younger still-developing player with the higher ceiling (Reese) or the more polished edge rusher with the higher floor (Bailey) who might make more of an immediate impact.
“That's a discussion we have really about every single player,” Mougey said. “Whether it's a first-round player or a seventh-round player, we’re in the business of projecting these guys, what their value could be.”
As much as the Jets and especially Glenn want and need to win now, they have to take players who they believe will have the highest ceiling. The Jets are not a player or two away from contending. They need to build a talented, balanced team and are in the process of doing it from the ground up.
Having this many high draft picks puts the Jets somewhat in a position of strength in this draft. They can move up or back depending on who they really want or what the return might be.
“We think there's good players throughout this draft and we're hoping we can land some of them,” Mougey said.
Mougey has received calls from other teams. He said teams are “feeling each other out” and gathering information. The calls that Mougey makes and takes will pick up as this week progresses and eventually it will turn to substantive talks.
This time of year, it’s like playing cards and Mougey has to display a good poker face.
He wore his when he met with reporters. Mougey didn’t reveal much or speak of any prospects in particular. He gave some of the standard answers. “It’s a good draft.” There’s “a pretty good group” of edge rushers. It’s “a good class” of wide receivers.
It would have been great if Mougey opened up more and said the Jets are really high on Reese, his athleticism and all the tools he can bring to their defense, or they’ll do everything they can to trade up for a receiver they covet after the Giants acquired the No. 10 pick from Cincinnati for Dexter Lawrence.
Of course, Mougey wasn’t going to say those things — even if both may be true.
The Jets need to add a playmaker in the receiver room and become a more dynamic offense. The Bengals weren’t expected to draft a receiver early. The Giants could take one with pick 5 or 10.
Mougey has the assets to trade up from 16 for a receiver. He will make those calls, and he could make a deal for someone he believes is a game-changer. As the Jets’ rebuild continues, it’s up to Mougey to add the right players with high ceilings to move this long-running project along — finally.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
