Oct 2, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets helmets on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Jets Early Buzz Points To Two Star-Studded Prospects

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 5:11 PM ET

It certainly seems likely that when the 2026 National Football League Draft rolls around this offseason that the New York Jets will not select a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, unless Fernando Mendoza drops or something crazy happens.

Mendoza has gotten plenty of early buzz as the potential No. 1 pick in the class. Dante Moore would've been at least considered at No. 2, but he took himself out of the conversation by returning to school for another year. With Moore off the board, who could the Jets take? On Thursday, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. dropped a new draft board without Moore and ESPN's Rich Cimini shared on X that the two "most likely options" at this point appear to be hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese out of Ohio State or Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey.

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"Based on Mel’s rankings, the most likely options for the Jets at 2 are Arvell Reese and David Bailey," Cimini wrote on X.

The Jets have chance to add a game-changer

Either would be good, but Reese would arguably be the best option. Kiper has him ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect behind Mendoza and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and called him a "complete football player."

"This is a complete football player," Kiper said. "Reese jumps off the Ohio State tape, playing the game like a veteran. I see natural instincts at the linebacker position that allow him to make plays most guys just can't make, and he has the burst to get home when turned loose as a pass rusher. Reese has been a big riser in this class."

Bailey would not be bad option. This is a guy who had 14 1/2 sacks in 2025 and Kiper noted that he became "more of a finisher" in 2025.

"A transfer from Stanford, Bailey gets after the quarterback. He had 14.5 sacks over three seasons for the Cardinal, and he matched that total in 2025 alone after notably becoming more of a finisher this season. His 20.2 percent pressure rate was the best in the nation -- despite actually being lower than it was in 2024 (22.2 percent) and 2023 (22.1 percent)."

There will be debates over the next few months, but Reese is the type of game-changing talent that doesn't come around often and could make Moore going back to school look like a blessing.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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