JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
#1 -- RUEBEN BAIN - DL (MIAMI) --
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
Bain is WD-40 for any defensive front. If Glenn remains in a 4-3, Bain drops in
as an immediate starter at edge in base, with the ability to rush from the
interior in passing situations.
Sacks: 10 (22nd)
Pressures: 67 (2nd)
Hurries: 54 (1st)
Pass rush win rate: 23.5%
PFF pass rush grade: 91.8
PFF run defense grade: 87.5
Forced fumbles: 2
Bain brings an immediate impact, floor and attitude that might
appeal more to coaches than executives. Bain plays like a
hippopotamus stung by bees, and leveled up when the stakes/
competition rose. Bain is pretty flexible for a 270 pounder. We
know he will be an excellent run defender on the edge and
disruptive pass rusher from the interior. The question is will his
lack of length and agility for the position cap his ceiling on an
island v. NFL tackles. If it does, he isn’t big enough to live at 3-
tech and could be pigeonholed as a 3-4 end. Kobie Turner type
of player is the floor here - which is high relative to the class.
JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
#2 -- ARVELL REESE - EDGE/LB (OSU) --
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
Still not 100% sure what front the Jets will be in. Reese projects best as a 3-4
SAM/EDGE hybrid. The 80% EDGE/ 20% off ball split that Andrew Van Ginkel
does in Brian Flores 3-4. In understand the trepidation associated with this
kind of projection pick, but Reese’s play strength and versatility give him a
higher floor than his skeptics assume.
Sacks: 8 (4th)
Pressures: 23 (20th)
Avg depth of run stop: 1.9 yards (3rd)
Pass rush win rate: 22.5%
PFF pass rush grade: 73.2
PFF run defense grade: 86.5
Missed tackle rate: 6%
Reese will stand up pulling guards, rag doll tackles who have 80
pounds on him, chase down a run from the weakside, and then drop
as a spy and close to get his team off the field on third down.
Reese was very productive as a pass rusher in limited opportunities
generating 4 sacks and 15 pressures on just 77 snaps as an edge in
true pass sets. Reese is 6’4’’ 245 pounds with a wing-span measuring
a full foot longer than Bains. He will still be 20 years old when the Jets
play the Giants in the Snoopy bowl. No reason he can’t carry 255
pounds at 22 years old and play plenty of EGDE. Remember Clay
Mathews? That’s the kind of role, and ceiling of impact you’re hunting
here.
JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
Styles is day one starter at ILB in whatever front the Jets implement. Playing
Will LB in what’s become the base 4-2-5 would allow Styles to play to his
strengths in man coverage, as a blitzer and heat seeking missile. Positional
value matters, but you have to get an elite player. Styles is worth a top 5 pick
in this draft class.
PFF coverage grade: 86.9
PFF run defense grade: 87.4
Missed tackle rate: 2.2%
Run stop rate: 9.6%
Pass break ups: 5
The Devin Lloyd comp is so clean. Though styles plays stronger with
the same juice. Styles would bring everything that is missing to the
middle of the Jets defense. The Jet LB corps was one of the worst in
coverage in the NFL and they missed far too many tackles. The former
safety is a natural in coverage, but his LOS impact was deadly. Styles
plays the run/ screen game like he has the play call, power to shed
blocks and length to tackle outside his frame. Styles missed one
tackle all year and it didn’t come until the playoffs. An efficient blitzer,
Styles registered 7 sacks in 119 pass rush snaps over his 2 years
starting at linebacker. This isn’t 2018 - the NFL is a currently a run/ YAC
intended throw/ situational mismatch heavy league. Styles is an
eraser in the middle.
JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
#4 -- CALEB DOWNS - DB (OSU) --
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
On the Ourlads chart, Downs will likely end up being listed as a nickel back.
But he’ll play everywhere. Downs can be the single high safety in Glenn’s
cover 1 defense, but will thrive as a robber/ buzzer/ slot defender. He’ll take
some reps at boundary CB just for fun. Down can essentially play linebacker
to make your 4-3 feel light and nickel to make your 4-2-5 play heavy.
PFF coverage grade: 89.5
PFF run grade: 83.7
TD allowed/ INT: 0/2
Run stops: 21 (2 )
nd
Passer rating allowed: 54.5
Missed tackle rate: 11.5%
If I had to bet my mortgage on one player from this class
making multiple all-pro teams, might put it on Downs. Positional
value might be overrated, but it matters. Downs would give the
Jets the ability to dictate personnel on their backend. Like Kyle
Hamilton/ Derwin James, he’d play more reps as a slot/ LB than
as a deep safety, though Downs demonstrated adequate range
when asked to play single high. A versatile defensive backroom
was a pillar of the Superbowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. The
Jets forced the fewest turnovers in NFL history last year and
haven’t been able to cover a TE for a decade. Downs steps in as
a the centerpiece of Aaron Glenn’s secondary.
JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
#5 -- MAKAI LEMON - WR (USC) --
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
Lemon put up ⅔ of his yards from the slot in 2025 - that’s where he would do
most of his damage in the NFL. He could also play some Z. The ideal
compliment to Garrett isn’t a perfect skillset, it’s an elite talent and
exceptional producer. The Jets are going to draft a QB this year or next,
dummy proofing the offensive personnel isn’t a bad idea.
YPRR: 3.13 (2nd)
Contested catch: 66.7%
Drop rate: 2.5%
YAC/ catch: 6.4
PFF receiving grade: 91.3
JSN wasn’t worth a top 5 pick… but he was. Lemon has the best
combination of separation, YAC, contested catch ability and drop
rate in the class. Like Bailey, players who produce like Lemon usually
bring it on Sundays. The last 4 WRs who had over 3.0 YPRR v. zone and
man coverage were JSN, Waddle, Chase and Devonta Smith. Lemon
squeezes out every bit of his catch radius with great body control and
ability to pluck the ball out of the sky late. Lemon would step in as an
immediate 1A with Garrett Wilson and give the Jets an alpha to run
the pass offense through should Garrett miss time again. The Jets
have had 5 different defensive players make an all-pro since their
last offensive player did. It’s okay to score points.
JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
#6 -- DAVID BAILEY - EDGE (TT) --
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
Bailey is best working from a 2 point stance as an OLB in an odd front. Bailey
should be an immediate impact player working within a rotation as a rookie
with the ceiling of a perennial double digit sack player. Same idea the Jets
had when drafting WMD, you’re looking for a closer.
Sacks: 13(3rd)
Pressures: 73 (1st)
Hurries: 42 (3rd)
Pass rush win rate: 21.6%
PFF pass rush grade: 93.8
PFF run defense grade: 80.5
Forced fumbles: 1
Bailey brings a preposterous production profile. Top 3 in the
nation in sacks, pressures, hits, hurries, pass rush win rate and
pass rushing grade. He will rush the passer at the next level. He
has a lightning get off - often getting his pass rush wins
immediately. Bailey is the worst run defender of the top tier edge
rushers but isn’t a push over - he’s stronger in the upper body
than your typical DPR. Curious to see what Bailey weighs in next
month, he will be 23 years old week 1 and may have tapped out
his frame. Watched some ‘24 film and he looked like a D1 small
forward out there. I worry more about Bailey’s play strength for
his draft age than others, but he had the best pass rushing
season in the class. Definitely a better fit as a standup 3-4 OLB.
JETS DRAFT GUIDE ‘26
#7 -- CARNELL TATE - WR (OSU) --
KEY STATS - WITHIN POSITION
FIT WITH JETS
WR alignments are never static, but stylistically - Garrett in the slot with Tate
as the Z and AD Mitchell as the X... chefs kiss. Tie breakers matter when it’s
this close, and the “no block, no rock” mantra Glenn touted last summer
would bode well for Tate being the Jets WR1 in this class.
YPRR: 3.02 (8th)
Contested catch rate: 85.7%
Drop rate: 0% (lol)
PFF receiving grade: 89.2
YAC/ catch: 4.5
Once you see George Pickens, you can’t unsee it. Tate is just so
damn smooth and has the best hands in the class. An 82%
contested catch rate and 0 drops has never happened since PFF
began tracking CC percentage in 2017. Many of Tate's contested
catches were contested because he had to wait on underthrows
from alleged elite QB prospect Julian Sayin. You don’t love betting
on contested catch players at the collegiate level, but Tate just
moves differently and is a better route runner than your average
jump ball specialist. The Jets haven’t had a “f it he’s down there
somewhere” ball winner since Marshall & Decker. Tate wins in a
lot of ways that Tmac won at Arizona last year.. would make
teams pay for allocating safety help to #5 and ditto the point on
helping the QB that was made with Lemon.