Sportsnaut
Considering that the New York Jets played a ghastly brand of football and won just three of 17 games last season, it’s not surprising that there will be opportunities for members of their latest Draft Class to make an immediate impact in 2026.
The Jets made eight picks in this year’s draft, including three in the first round and four of the first 50 selections overall. Each of those first four draft picks are expected to play key roles when the Jets open training camp July 28. Another rookie is in the thick of the backup quarterback battle this summer.
Let’s take a closer look at these five rookies set for key roles at Jets training camp.
The most obvious choice to top this list is edge rusher David Bailey, whom the Jets selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft. The Jets believe he’s ready to impact their defense immediately as a stud pas rusher, after making 14.5 sacks at Texas Tech last season. He’s 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, ran a 4.5 40 at the combine, and is as strong as he’s quick, simply a nightmare for opposing offensive lineman. The Jets weren’t good at getting to the quarterback last season, but now have Bailey in the mix along with 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald IV and Joseph Ossai, a key free agent signee this offseason, coming off the edge. That’s a pretty solid group on paper, and could be much more than that if Bailey is as much of a force as expected. One thing to watch in training camp and the preseason is how Bailey looks against the run, something that could affect his snap count once the regular season begins.
Even though the Jets selected tight end Mason Taylor in the second round of the 2025 draft and like where the second-year pro is headed, they doubled down to pick Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall in the first round this year. Sadiq is a unicorn — expect him to line up solo at tight end, in double tight-end sets, at wide receiver, and perhaps even in the backfield at times. He’s also a freakishly athletic player, who clocked a 4.39 40 and had a 43.5 inch vertical jump at the combine. He’s big (6-foot-3, 241 pounds) and can block, too. But Sadiq has much to prove. Last year at Oregon, he caught 51 passes for 560 yards. Nice numbers, but not necessarily elite, though he did have eight touchdown receptions. Sadiq also missed OTAs following hernia surgery, though was at minicamp and is good to go next week for the start of full training camp. Let’s see how ready he is once the season begins. The Jets will monitor Sadiq closely these next six weeks.
The Jets traded back into the first round to select Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30 overall. Cooper was the fifth wide...
