New York Jets 2026 preview: Geno Smith returns, David Bailey offers plenty of promise

• Geno Smith returns to New York: The veteran quarterback reunites with the Jets as the franchise searches for stability under center.

• A strong draft class offers hope: David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. headline a rookie group expected to contribute immediately.

• The PFF Early Bird Sale Is Here: Save 33% and get PFF+ for just $79.99, our lowest price of the year.

Explore PFF Fantasy Tools

EARLY BIRD SALE: SAVE 33% — the lowest price of the year (opens in new tab)

Another difficult season saw the New York Jets stumble to a 3-14 record and finish at the bottom of the AFC East. They head into the 2026 season sharing a division with two Super Bowl contenders while facing significant questions at multiple positions on the roster.

Here is our 2026 preview of the New York Jets.

Key Free Agency/Trade Additions

The biggest move on offense was bringing back Geno Smith nearly a decade after his last snap with the Jets, which came against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 of the 2016 season.

Smith endured a challenging season with the Las Vegas Raiders last year, posting a 60.9 PFF grade. He impressed during his four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, however, earning 80.0-plus PFF grades in both 2023 and 2024. If the Jets can get that version of Smith, it would be their best quarterback play in quite some time.

On defense, the Jets potentially added six new starters in free agency, but the most intriguing addition came when they acquired interior defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat in the trade that sent Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans. Sweat just turned 25 and has earned 75.0-plus PFF grades in each of his first two NFL seasons. If the Jets are looking for a nose tackle to anchor the middle of their defensive line for years to come, he could be the perfect fit.

2026 NFL Draft Class

The Jets had three first-round picks and used the second overall selection on Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey. Bailey was a dominant pass-rusher, earning 93.2 and 93.3 PFF pass-rush grades in his final college seasons at Stanford and Texas Tech, respectively. In 2025, he generated 73 pressures on 325 pass-rushing snaps, with 31 resulting in either sacks or quarterback hits.

The Jets used their other two first-round picks on pass-catchers, selecting tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Sadiq is a tremendous athlete and is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he averaged 2.14 and 1.88 yards per route run.

Cooper was one of the best receivers in college football last season, averaging 2.52 yards per route run across his three-year college career.

Reasons for optimism

Like the Miami Dolphins, optimism surrounding the Jets in the AFC East should be more focused on the future than the 2026 season itself. On paper, they drafted well and, alongside the players already mentioned, another rookie who could make an immediate impact is cornerback D'Angelo Ponds.

Ponds is projected to play primarily in the slot because of his size, but he proved he could hold up on the outside in college, earning 85.0-plus PFF coverage grades in all three of his collegiate seasons. He also allowed just a 42.0 NFL passer rating on throws into his coverage last season at Indiana.

The QB Annual Is Live

Every qualifying quarterback. Every metric that matters. PFF grades, passing splits, EPA per dropback, clutch performance, interception luck and more — all in one interactive guide built on the same data trusted by all 32 NFL teams.

Read the QB Annual (opens in new tab)Get PFF+ (opens in new tab)

Reason for pessimism

PFF grading dates back to the 2006 season, and in 20 years of data, the Jets have never had a quarterback earn an 80.0-plus PFF grade. Aaron Rodgers came closest in 2024 at 77.6. Their best hope of ending that streak is 35-year-old Geno Smith, who is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. They are also projected to have eight new starters on defense, meaning they'll need to get on the same page quickly this summer to avoid a slow start.

Breakout Candidate

Right tackle Armand Membou hit the ground running as a rookie, with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft becoming one of just 22 offensive tackles to earn 70.0-plus PFF grades both in pass protection and as a run blocker. He improved as the season went on, allowing just two pressures on 146 pass-blocking snaps over the final four weeks of the regular season.

Don't be surprised if he establishes himself as one of the best tackles in football by the end of his second season.

Key roster battles

Garrett Wilson is firmly entrenched as the Jets' top target at wide receiver, but the bigger question is how quickly Omar Cooper Jr. can establish himself as the No. 2 option. The Jets acquired 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell in the trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, and he showed flashes, including an eight-catch, 102-yard performance against the Atlanta Falcons. However, he averaged just 1.23 yards per route run across eight games with the Jets and posted a 20.0% drop rate. Three of his six drops came in his first game with the team, however, suggesting some context behind the number.

The potential is there with Mitchell, but given his early-career struggles, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cooper out-target him from the opening week.