Mike Tannenbaum highlights Jets’ dream draft scenario

The New York Jets have four draft picks in the first 50 overall selections in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. Where they go with those picks remains up for debate in league circles.

Most draft analysts believe Arvell Reese, the Ohio State edge rusher who is considered the top defensive player in the draft, will be the pick at second overall. Those same analysts predict the organization will focus its second first-round pick on a receiver.

While the Jets could simply move forward with both second-round picks, a former top executive for the organization believes there’s a potential “dream scenario” that could bring New York a franchise quarterback as well.

Mikey T breaks down Jets’ draft outlook

If you ask most Jets fans to name the best general manager the team has had over the last few decades, Mike Tannenbaum is usually at the top of the list. From his work in building a roster that reached two conference championship games to the struggles after his departure, Tannenbaum’s run in New York stands out as a positive.

Now, the ESPN analyst believes there’s a way to solve their future quarterback problems.

“You go back to what the New York Giants did last year, they traded up from the top of the second round to the bottom of the first,” Tannenbaum said. “If the Jets ran a similar play and sent 33 and 44, their two second-round picks, to Chicago at 25 and took Ty Simpson, who can sit for a year…Now you have him on that critical fifth-year option.

“Imagine if you’re the New York Jets, you get the edge rusher, a corner, and then Ty Simpson in the first round.”

Tannenbaum is not the only analyst who is predicting a logical pairing between Simpson and the Jets. New York needs a quarterback of the future, and while the team has three first-round picks in 2027, finding its future franchise signal-caller in 2026 could change the outlook of the organization.

And, as Tannenbaum points out, getting a rookie quarterback on a fifth-year option has become extremely important for teams around the league.

If New York really falls in love with a player like the Alabama signal-caller, they should do everything in their power to draft him. Whether that’s giving up both second-round picks or moving across the board, it won’t matter.

They need to get the quarterback right.

The big question for New York is whether Simpson is a player that the team should trade multiple picks for. While he showed spurts of excellence in his lone season as a starter, recent NFL history has a long list of quarterbacks who have struggled with just a full season of starting reps in college.

Tannenbaum may think the Jets could get a dream scenario if they fall for Simpson. In many ways, that may be the case.

But the opportunity for the Jets to get four starters with all of their high picks might be too good a scenario to pass up, even for a team with no long-term answer at quarterback.