Way-too-early 2026 mock draft has NY Jets targeting QB

Unless Justin Fields is able to take the New York Jets to the playoffs in his first year as the starter, Gang Green will likely be in the market for a quarterback soon.

Although the 2025 draft may have just ended, it doesn’t mean it is wrong to look ahead to the 2026 draft now. One ESPN reporter is not only looking ahead, but also has the Jets taking one of the top signal-callers coming out next year.

2026 Mock Has Jets on QB Watch

Jordan Reid came out with his first “way too early” mock draft for the incoming 2026 draft class. That group is expected to have a much stronger quarterback class than the 2025 edition, with multiple signal-callers carrying potential first-round grades.

For reference, in Reid’s mock draft, four quarterbacks are taken in the first 15 picks of the incoming draft. He has the Jets taking South Carolina starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers with the fourth overall pick.

As part of one of the best teams in college football last season, Sellers is a favorite candidate by many to potentially skyrocket up draft boards to be the top quarterback selected in the upcoming draft.

For the Jets, it would be a no-brainer.

“If the Jets are picking this high, they probably didn’t have a great 2025 season,” Reid predicted. “And that means they would be in the market for a quarterback, despite another year on Justin Fields’ contract.

“Sellers’ superb traits make him a contender for a meteoric rise up the board. He’s a true dual threat, having passed for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns with 7 interceptions in 2024 while rushing for another 674 yards and seven scores. Sellers will have to improve his pocket vision and ball security (six lost fumbles in seven games), but he has the physical tools that NFL teams covet. He reminds me a lot of Donovan McNabb coming out of Syracuse.”

Contrary to what some Eagle fans may say, any comparison to McNabb as a quarterback is a tremendous compliment. McNabb was the franchise quarterback in Philadelphia for years and brought the team their first bit of success in decades.

New York would be lucky to have a quarterback like that.