Jets have unique opportunity with Geno Smith thanks to three 2027 first-rounders

It's abundantly clear that the New York Jets are going to be looking to draft a quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft following the upcoming 2026 NFL season.

But there is an interesting scenario playing out for the Jets that could present a unique opportunity for veteran QB Geno Smith this upcoming season.

As ESPN's Dan Graziano highlighted, even though the Jets might be likely to land a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, they don't actually have to "tank" thanks to their three 2027 first-round picks.

Jets don't have to tank in 2026 to land top QB prospect in 2027 NFL Draft

"Are all eyes really just on next year?" Graziano writes. "... That inventory means that they don't necessarily have to 'tank' to land the guy they want. Three first-round picks should enable the Jets to move around the draft in any number of ways to finally find their long-term answer."

The Jets own three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. They own their own pick, one from the Indianapolis Colts, and whichever pick between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers selections is higher.

That's more than enough ammo to move up the board to land their quarterback of the future if they, for whatever reason, don't wind up with a very high pick in 2027's NFL Draft.

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How would the Jets avoid such a high pick? Well, if Smith and the new-look Jets offense, which underwent significant changes this offseason, perform well alongside a revamped defense, the Jets can win a bit more than they're expected to.

Thanks in part to an easier schedule as well, it wouldn't be too big of a surprise if the Jets won a few games in 2026. In theory, the new-look defense should be better than it was in 2025, as should the offense.

David Bailey, Omar Cooper Jr., Kenyon Sadiq, D'Angelo Ponds, and all of the free agent and trade pickups should be a big help for the Jets in 2026.

Thanks to owning three first-rounders, the Jets don't have to go out of their way to tank. They can, in the scenario that the team wins too many games, use their extra first-rounders to move up the board for their QB of the future.

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