Can Jets land No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL draft? Breaking down New York's possible outcomes

Mike Moraitis

Can Jets land No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL draft? Breaking down New York's possible outcomes image

It has been another disastrous season for the New York Jets in the first year of head coach Aaron Glenn's tenure.

While frustrating, it shouldn't be surprising considering we knew just how bad this team was going into the season. Granted, we might have expected a bit better than what Gang Green put out there in 2025, but not by much.

Now, the Jets will close out their dreadful year with a Week 18 matchup versus the Buffalo Bills, and the hope is the Jets lose this game and secure the highest draft pick possible.

Entering Week 18, the Jets sit in the No. 3 spot in the draft order, per Tankathon, and still have a chance to move up.

But can they still reach the No. 1 spot? Here are the possible outcomes.

Can Jets land No. 1 pick in NFL draft?

No, the Jets can't finish with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, which stinks considering the team's need for a franchise quarterback.

Their chances of landing in the top overall spot were dashed in Week 17, when the Atlanta Falcons beat the Los Angeles Rams, per ESPN's Field Yates.

If the Jets win

A victory for New York over the Bills would mean the Jets can't move up, and they can also fall to as far as No. 7 in that scenario.

If the Jets win on Sunday, New York will fall one spot for each of the following teams that lose their games: the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.

If the Jets lose

Should the Jets fall to the Bills in Week 18, they can do no worse than the No. 3 overall pick.

However, if the New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys in tandem with the Jets losing, Gang Green would secure the No. 2 overall pick, which guarantees an opportunity to take one of the top-two signal-callers in this year's class.

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