3 free agent WRs the Jets should still target

The majority of the New York Jets’ 2026 free agency moves are in the books.

That does not mean their work is done.

One position that has remained completely untouched for New York is a unit that was also among their weakest groups prior to free agency: wide receiver.

After failing to have a wideout reach 400 receiving yards in 2025, the Jets have yet to add any new players to the group.

With wide receiver remaining unaddressed, while many of the Jets’ other positions of need have been given quality reinforcements, it is clearly the team’s biggest need as of today, nearly one week after the start of free agency (save for quarterback, of course).

Garrett Wilson is talented enough to be one of the best receivers in football. After Wilson, though, here is what the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart looks like:

• Adonai Mitchell
• Isaiah Williams
• Arian Smith
• Irvin Charles
• Jamaal Pritchett
• Quentin Skinner
• Mac Dalena

Suffice to say, the Jets arguably have the weakest wide receiver depth in the NFL beyond the No. 1 player.

At this point in free agency, the Jets are unlikely to land a superstar who changes the long-term trajectory of the unit, barring a surprising blockbuster trade. They will rely on the draft to find a player with that type of potential. Players like Makai Lemon and Denzel Boston are among the potential options.

However, it is imperative that New York still adds some quality depth pieces to the unit. When your WR3 is a return specialist who has been released three times over the past two years (including once by the Jets midway through last season), you are not in a good spot.

It means the Jets are one Garrett Wilson injury away from having an inoperable passing offense. We already saw what that could look like in 2025.

With that in mind, here are three free agent receivers who would strengthen the Jets’ depth.

Christian Kirk

Kirk, 29, is well beyond his days as a 1,000-yard receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. However, he showed in 2025 that he can still provide value as a complementary weapon.

With the Texans battling injuries at wide receiver, Kirk stepped up big-time in the playoffs. He caught 8 of 9 targets for 144 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 30-6 wild card victory over the Steelers. Kirk added another touchdown in the Texans’ divisional loss at New England.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Kirk is an experienced possession receiver out of the slot, which is an archetype the Jets do not have in their lineup.

Deebo Samuel

Samuel, 30, is no longer the dynamic force he was when the Jets reportedly offered the 10th overall pick to acquire him during the 2022 draft.

Nonetheless, he can still fit into a niche role effectively. This past season, Samuel ranked eighth among wide receivers in yards after catch (471) and sixth in missed tackles forced (17).

Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich called screens at a high rate during his most recent seasons as an NFL coach. The Jets need someone who can excel on those plays. In an ideal world, they don’t waste too many of those plays on Garrett Wilson, as it’s about time that Wilson’s downfield game is fully unleashed.

Samuel should no longer be expected to do much damage beyond his schemed-up plays—he ranked 74th among wide receivers with 256 yards before catch in 2025—but he remains a quality weapon on screens and other designed plays. That would make him a useful piece under a coach who projects to call plenty of those concepts.

Tyler Lockett

At 33 years old, Tyler Lockett isn’t the deep threat he once was.

However, the appeal of Lockett for New York is that he has plenty of chemistry with Geno Smith. Lockett caught passes from Smith in each of the past five seasons.

From 2021-25, Smith completed 238 of his 346 passes to Lockett (68.8%), yielding 2,793 yards (8.1 yards per attempt) and 17 touchdowns (4.9% touchdown pass rate).

Lockett would also be an excellent mentor to the young deep threats on New York’s roster. His extensive track record as one of the league’s top deep threats would be valuable to players like Adonai Mitchell, and even Garrett Wilson.

Few players over the past decade were as stellar as Lockett at separating on vertical routes or tracking deep balls. He offers plenty of valuable knowledge to be soaked up by Mitchell, Wilson, and a potential first-round pick.