East Rutherford, NJ -- August 22, 2025 -- Breece Hall of the Jets and Justin Fields in the first half. The Philadelphia Eagles came to MetLife Stadium to play the NY Jets in the final preseason season game. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jets Mock Draft Replaces Justin Fields With Unexpected QB

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The New York Jets took a leap of faith this offseason by putting the future of the franchise in the hands of quarterback Justin Fields.

But not everybody is confident in Fields. In fact, there are quite a few members of the media around the NFL who believe the Jets will again be one of the worst teams in football. If that's the case, the Jets could be selecting at the top of the first round of the NFL Draft. If Fields struggles, the Jets could be in the market to land a quarterback to replace him.

CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson recently put together a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. In this mock draft, Wilson predicted the Jets would land a top-five pick and use it to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

NFL mock draft: Jets land QB Fernando Mendoza to replace Justin Fields

"Mendoza is a pocket passer but not a statue; he buys time with subtle pocket movements, excels off-platform, and when needed, can stride out in the open field. Will get through reads while hanging in a pocket closing in around him," Wilson wrote. "Consistently played with pressure in his face, consistently stood tall in the pocket, and delivered strikes to all three levels on time and accurately.

Ball comes out on time and with touch/accuracy to all three levels. He has a good feel for pocket pressure, can climb with eyes downfield and deliver accurately off-platform. It's hard to envision him not having success at Indiana after the numbers he put up at Cal."

Mendoza isn't a name that you hear at the top of the first round very often, but he's quickly placed himself on NFL scouts' maps this year. He's shown an advanced ability to dissect the defense already, but the true test will be later in the season as Indiana gets into Big Ten play.

At the end of the day, the Jets will likely only look to replace Fields if he struggles tremendously. The young quarterback has high upside, but if he struggles, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Jets replace him with Mendoza.

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

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