New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey was asked about exploring a trade-up in the 2026 NFL draft for the No. 1 overall pick with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I don’t think that’s happening,” Mougey responded with a laugh at the 2026 NFL combine.
Brian Costello of the New York Post pointed out that Mougey and Raiders GM John Spytek “know each other pretty well.”
Mougey and Spytek crossed over for three years with the Denver Broncos. Spytek was the southwest area scout for the Broncos in 2013, and then he became a national scout in 2014-15. Mougey was a personnel and scouting assistant in 2013 and then served as an area scout in 2014-15 while Spytek was there.
“I talk to Spytek and those guys often. As I do with other teams, talking about moving up and moving back. So absolutely we will talk about all of those things, but I don’t think that’s happening. You could ask Spytek though,” when asked if he will call about moving up.
Jets Will Be Forced to Look Through Other Doors at the QB Position
The green and white had a terrible season in 2025, but it wasn’t terrible enough.
The reward for a 3-14 season is the No. 2 overall pick in a one-quarterback class. Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, out of Indiana, will be the top choice, barring something unforeseen.
With Mendoza crossed off the list, the Jets will have to evaluate their other choices at the QB position.
Former college football player and current analyst for SumerSports, Sam Bruchhaus, told me on “Boy Green Daily” that there isn’t a quarterback worthy of taking with the Jets’ first of two first-round picks.
However, there is more of a conversation with the 16th overall pick. That option, if he is still on the board, would be Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
In former scout and NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s updated top 50 big board, Simpson is ranked No. 40 overall.
“Simpson is a slightly undersized quarterback with sound mechanics, touch, and accuracy. He primarily operated out of the shotgun at Alabama. He has quick feet in his setup and marries his feet with his eyes to stay on platform as a passer. [Simpson] has a compact delivery and enough arm strength to make all the throws,” Jeremiah wrote.
“He does have some issues when the pocket collapses, as he gets sped up, and the ball can take off down the field. He is a good athlete and throws well on designed boots and roll-outs. His play tailed off at the end of the 2025 season while he battled a couple different injuries which limited practice time, according to sources at the school. His limited number of starts (15, all in this past season) is also a concern. Overall, Simpson has the skill set to develop into a functional NFL starter, but it might require some patience,” Jeremiah explained.
Weighing the Present vs. The Future
There is a sense that the Jets’ current management is on the hot seat following a disappointing 2025 campaign.
That reality could force the Jets to make decisions in the immediate that don’t align with the long term.
For example, there are mixed opinions on Simpson as a prospect. However, he is the best QB prospect that the Jets will have a shot at selecting. Do they just take him because that is the best they can do? Or does the organization have patience and wait until a more QB rich opportunity presents itself in the 2027 NFL draft?
That is the balance the Jets will have to weigh this offseason.
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