Jets ‘absolutely cooked’ in Round 1 of NFL Draft according to ESPN analyst originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The New York Jets had one of the most active first rounds of any team during the 2026 NFL Draft. A few teams had multiple first-round picks, and the Jets wound up making three selections and one trade.
In Round 1, the Jets drafted edge rusher David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Add in a trade up from No. 33 to No. 30, and the Jets made four moves on draft night, as Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey were busy Thursday night.
ESPN’s Matt Miller believes that the Jets “absolutely cooked” during the first round of this NFL Draft for a few different reasons, despite some pushback on the Jets’ draft class so far.
Jets ‘absolutely cooked’ in Round 1 per ESPN analyst
“The Jets absolutely cooked Thursday night,” Miller writes. “David Bailey, Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. is a heck of a haul for a team that badly needs impact players.”
New York now has a new starting tight end who is an electric receiving threat who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. They also added an edge rusher who had 14.5 sacks last year, and a WR who helped Indiana win the National championship.
The addition of Bailey to the defense is a game-wrecker in the pass rush game, which was a massive need for the Jets this year.
As Miller notes, “Bailey is ideal for the transition to a 3-4 defense thanks to his world-class speed off the snap.”
Adding both Cooper and Sadiq to the offense will also make for a fun cast of weapons for Geno Smith, or whoever is starting at quarterback for the Jets in 2026.
More: Aaron Glenn believes Geno Smith can lead Jets to ‘the promised land’
Along with Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mithcell in the WR room, Mason Taylor in the TE room, and star running back Breece Hall, the Jets offense looks very exciting for the 2026 season after the additions of Sadiq and Cooper.
While there might be questions about each of these picks, overall, the Jets came out of Round 1 with three instant-impact players, two on offense in the receiving game and one at pass rusher.
If the Jets can add some defensive back help, especially a ball-hawking cornerback on Day 2, they could be one of the big winners of the 2026 NFL Draft.