The New York Jets are set to enter the 2025 NFL Draft with a world of possibilities in front of them. Armed with the No. 7 overall pick and a roster with plenty of holes, the new regime led by Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey has no shortage of directions they can take.
With a long list of roster needs and a host of appealing targets, it would be difficult for the Jets to completely whiff on their first-round selection. They’re in prime position to land an instant-impact starter and build toward the sustainable future this franchise has so desperately lacked.
Most scenarios end with the Jets getting better, or at least more complete. But there’s one outcome that would be disastrous, both from a team-building standpoint and from a messaging perspective.
A decision so baffling, so ill-timed, that it could immediately derail the momentum the new front office has started to build. That outcome? Drafting a quarterback in the first round.
The NY Jets cannot draft a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft
Whether it’s Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or another quarterback, the Jets cannot afford to fall into the trap of chasing a long-term QB project early in this year’s draft.
Not only would it undercut the investment they’ve made in Justin Fields, but it would also represent a major misallocation of resources for a team with so many other pressing needs.
More importantly, there just isn’t a quarterback not named Cam Ward in this class worthy of the No. 7 pick. Drafting a quarterback in the first round, especially inside the top 10, isn’t just a pick — it’s a multi-year commitment.
When a team selects a quarterback that early, they aren’t just hoping to develop a player. They’re signaling to the entire league that this is their guy. That he’s the future. That they’re willing to build around him. And with that comes the reality that they probably won’t take another swing at the position for a few years.
That’s the opportunity cost of drafting a top-10 quarterback. It ties your future to one player. If he struggles, if he’s not the guy, you’re stuck. You’ve passed on a chance to address other needs — needs the Jets absolutely have — in favor of someone who might not even see the field as a rookie.
Most NFL regimes only get one crack at drafting a quarterback in Round 1. Glenn and Mougey shouldn’t waste that shot on a group of passers that are, by and large, viewed as long-term projects or fringe starters.
Putting all your trust in the likes of Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, Tyler Shough, etc. isn’t just risky, it’s reckless. Hitching your rebuild to one of them this early in your tenure is the kind of all-in move that can backfire quickly.
Of course, the situation changes if the Jets take a quarterback on Day 2 or, more likely, Day 3. That’s a dart throw. A flyer. A low-risk, high-upside move that won’t derail your roster-building efforts.
But a first-round quarterback pick, especially one made in the top 10, sends a message that this is your franchise centerpiece. The Jets aren’t in a position to make that kind of leap. Not now. Not for this class.
This year’s quarterback class simply doesn’t offer the type of talent worth resetting the clock for. Burning a top-10 pick on one of these passers would be a gamble the Jets can’t afford to lose.