The New York Jets are picking No. 2 overall and No. 16 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and there has been plenty of buzz about Ty Simpson being connected to the team.
But the odds of Simpson being the pick in Round 1 are very slim. The Jets are more likely to wait until the 33rd or 44th picks in the second round for Simpson. However, there are questions about whether spending an early draft pick on Simpson makes sense.
As CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones noted, the Jets can "throw a draft pick" at Simpson in this year's draft for a few reasons, one of which is the abundance of picks this year, and the other is that this pick wouldn't stop them from picking from the stacked 2027 class at QB.
Jets can take Ty Simpson without worry for 2 reasons
"It is nothing for the Jets - who own pick No. 33 - to throw a draft pick at a quarterback this weekend," Jones writes. "... Taking Simpson this weekend wouldn't preclude them from spending resources next spring on a top prospect."
The Jets spending a premium pick, in either the later parts of Round 1 or in Round 2, on a quarterback who might not start much in 2026 and would likely be replaced in 2027 might seem odd.
But, with quarterback being the most important position, and this year's weaker draft class, and the Jets owning three first-rounders in 2027, taking a chance on a QB like Simpson in the second round makes a lot of sense.
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If Simpson were to hit, then the Jets would be in an incredible spot to surround him with talent in the 2027 draft class. But if he's not good or they don't know enough to commit to him, then they could still use a first-rounder to acquire a QB next year.
Even though burning a second-round pick on Simpson might not be the best use of resources, when it comes to a position as important as quarterback, taking as many stabs at it as possible makes sense.
As Jones writes, "Considering the organization hasn't been able to identify a franchise quarterback across regimes only reinforces the belief that it should keep taking shots until it's settled."
Between the abundance of picks the Jets have over the next two years, and the Jets need to continue taking shots at the QB position, throwing a pick at someone like Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft for the Jets would not be a bad idea.

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