Top 10 New York Jets Players Going Into the 2026-27 NFL Season

The Jets are destined to continue their seemingly endless rebuilding process. Last year was about as bad as it gets for this team. The first year of the Aaron Glenn era was a nightmare for the ages.

The defense was so horrible that it failed to record a single interception the entire regular season. It's the first time this has happened in the NFL since the stat began being recorded in 1933.

They were dead last in defensive takeaways, and the offense wasn't any better. The leading receiver was Garrett Wilson, who had under 400 yards, while leading passer Justin Fields had barely 1,200 yards.

I expect things to be better this season, but I still really don't have any high hopes for this team at all as they continue their deep rebuilding effort. Expect another long season, Gang Green.

The Top Ten

Armand Membou

Armand Membou is coming off an impressive rookie season with the Jets. He was one of the top young offensive tackles in the league. He showed elite pass protection and run-blocking ability. The Jets have seemingly found their generational starting right tackle. There's an argument to be made that he's a top-5 right tackle in the entire league right now, and he's only entering his second year. Membou has been nothing but a total stud so far.
Olu Fashanu

Fashanu has developed into a rare successful draft pick for the New York Jets in recent years. He was picked 11th overall in 2024 and has since become a cornerstone for the Jets' offensive line. He's elite at pass protection, and by the end of his sophomore season, he was one of the best pass protectors in the league. He's also very formidable as a run blocker as well. He's become a great asset for the Jets' offensive line.
Breece Hall

Breece Hall has been an arguably elite running back. He is by far the best weapon the Jets have on offense and has proven himself repeatedly. He had over 1,000 rushing yards last season and 4 touchdowns, and was also a capable receiving threat as well. Hall has been excellent even in difficult circumstances, dealing with inconsistent quarterback play. There's a reason why the Jets just paid him a handsome contract extension.
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Minkah Fitzpatrick is officially on the Jets after being traded from Miami, where he played all of last season. Fitzpatrick is still one of the better safeties in the league and a valuable asset to any defense. He has a very high football IQ and is a bit of a Swiss army knife player, capable of playing in multiple different schemes. There's a reason why he's made several All-Pro Teams and Pro Bowls throughout his career.
Demario Davis

Demario Davis is a veteran linebacker and has continued to play at a high level even in the late stages of his career. He's one of those players that has seemingly aged like fine wine, now entering his 15th season in the league. He returns to the team who drafted him in 2012 as a productive leader on the field and has been named to multiple All-Pro Teams in his career. Last season, he had 143 combined tackles (64 solo tackles), proving he can be a reliable, durable asset for the Jets defense that desperately needs to make improvements.
Garrett Wilson

As far as wide receivers go, Garrett Wilson has been the top receiver for the Jets for a couple of years now. Unfortunately, he's dealt with inconsistent quarterback play for most of his career, keeping him out of conversations for being the best in the league.
He has good route running and separation, and has managed to produce despite challenging circumstances. He had just 395 yards in 7 games with 4 touchdowns last season. Even though he had a down year, he can still be that reliable go-to guy for any quarterback.
David Bailey

David Bailey was the Jets' top draft pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, being selected 2nd overall. He has massive expectations going into the NFL, and the Jets are banking on him being an elite game-wrecker on defense. He was an elite pass rusher at Texas Tech with 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, leading all of FBS in those categories. However, his run defense leaves something to be desired. Bailey should be a favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and make an immediate impact on the Jets defense.
Will McDonald IV

Will McDonald is generally a good pass rusher with good speed. He's been reliable and consistent for the most part. He had a down year in 2025, but to be fair, so did the Jets' entire defense. He finished with just 8 sacks and 19 tackles (30 total). He can get to the quarterback and is a generally reliable starter for the Jets defense. They did pick up his fifth-year option, so the Jets do have some belief in his potential.
Kenyon Sadiq

Kenyon Sadiq is an interesting prospect from the 2026 NFL draft. The Jets selected him 16th overall in the draft. Sadiq had a lot of hype entering the draft. He's a freak athletic tight end with blistering speed and explosiveness. He is coming off a breakout junior season from Oregon where he had 51 receptions, 560 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He was a second-team All-American and Big Ten Conference Tight End of the Year. He should be an intriguing addition to a Jets offense that desperately needs a spark.
Geno Smith

Eugene Cyril Smith III, known as Geno Smith, is an American football quarterback. He currently plays for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League. Smith previously played for teams including the New York Jets and the Seattle Seahawks.

Geno Smith makes his return to New York after a couple of years in Seattle and Las Vegas. There was a time when he had seemingly revived his career from the dead and looked actually okay. In 3 of the last 4 years he threw at least 20 touchdowns, and in 2 of the last 4 years he threw for over 4,000 yards. However, he is also coming off a pretty rough season with the Raiders, throwing 17 interceptions. Time will tell whether the Jets get passable Geno or bad Geno. Either way, he's clearly a short-term starter until they can find their next franchise quarterback.