Misery loves company: Only bright spot for Jets is failures of Cowboys, Colts

Even though it is only halfway through, the 2026 season is rapidly turning into another lost season for the New York Jets.

After Sunday's 38-33 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jets find themselves at 2-6 and almost certain to extend their current playoff drought to 16 consecutive seasons.

The only good thing that is coming out of this? The same thing that losing teams always point to -- draft position.

In the Jets' case, it is not just about their own failures.

Jets could be in line for great draft position three different times in 2027 NFL Draft class

This all goes back to the Jets' failed 2025 season that saw them trade cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a package that included the better of Dallas' two 2027 first-round picks (they also have a pick from the Green Bay Packers as part of the Micah Parsons trade). 

This is working out nicely for the Jets because the Colts, who already had to send the No. 16 overall pick in 2026 to the Jets as part of the Gardner trade, dropped to a 2-6 on Sunday in a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and are already selling off everything on their roster that is not nailed down.

Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and guard Quenton Nelson are already gone.

Wide receiver Josh Downs and running back Jonathan Taylor could soon be on their way out. 

It's a team that is already near the bottom of the league and is likely to keep getting worse. 

The Cowboys, after losing to the Arizona Cardinals, are just 3-5 and can not stop anybody on defense. 

As things stand on Sunday, the Jets would have three of the top-10 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, including two in the top five.

The Colts pick would currently be the No. 4 overall pick, their own pick would be No. 5 overall, and the Dallas pick would be No. 10 overall. 

The Jets would still have to get all of those picks right and make the appropriate moves (never a given with them), but it would certainly put them into a strong position. If nothing else, they would be in a great position to potentially take another swing at a top quarterback prospect.

Looking at draft-pick positioning is nothing new for Jets fans. Now they get to do it with three different teams this season. Right now, it is looking good for them. It is the only thing looking good for them this season.