New York

Jets

The Jets acquired Smith when they traded Quinnen Williams to Dallas. Smith only appeared in three games for Gang Green last year. He did not record any counting stats. Smith now enters a contract year with a lot to prove.

The Jets were tied to other team’s backup quarterbacks for a lot of the offseason, as well as Carson Wentz before Wentz re-signed with the Vikings. This is the resignation stage. Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys in Week 2 last year. That actually happened. Also he played some other games that weren’t as good before being benched for Jaxson Dart. On a talent level, there are probably teams with worse backups, but a 37-year-old Russell Wilson probably isn’t anything more than a bar for fourth-rounder Cade Klubnik to try to clear.

Lacy (5’9”/183) is an undersized receiver who ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at the Combine. A sixth-year prospect who plays primarily from the slot, Lacy spent the first four seasons of his career at South Alabama. His career 7.1 ADOT is one of the lowest you’ll see of any receiver in the draft, and he saw 64 of his 82 targets in 2025 come on short throws (0-9 yard ADOT) or passes behind the line of scrimmage. His career 7.4 YAC/RAC and career missed tackles forced rate of 26.5 percent are solid, but also speak to how he gained most of his yards in college. Lacy is a highly experienced return man, which will likely give him his best chance at making an NFL roster. For his career, he returned 86 punts for 936 yards and three touchdowns, and returned another 34 kickoffs for 831 yards and another score. In 2023 and 2025, he led his conference in punt return yards. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lacy make a roster as a special teams ace, but he’s likely a long way from ever offering any contribution on offense.

Payne (6’3/206) is a long, explosive strong safety with high-end athletic tools (9.74 RAS) and verified range (4.40s forty, 99th-percentile) that translate to versatile box and split-field usage. He generated 13 havoc plays with 55 tackles (85.9-percentile tackle rate) while adding four interceptions and 7 PBUs, flashing legitimate playmaking ability both downhill and at the catch point. In coverage, Payne allowed 17-of-30 completions (56.7 percent) for 202 yards with 3 TDs, but offset that with a strong 23.3% forced incompletion rate and disruptive length in contested situations. His 0.55 yards per coverage snap and willingness to challenge throws vertically reflect an aggressive, attack-minded safety who can erase space but will surrender occasional explosives. Payne projects as a scheme-versatile strong safety with starter upside in split-safety or big nickel looks, though his high-cut build and inconsistent tackling mechanics create volatility in his finishing.

The Jets dealt pick No. 199 and No. 242 for No. 188. Cooper (6’6/337) is a massive, road-grading interior presence whose gargantuan frame and heavy hands make him a tone-setter in downhill run schemes. A four-year contributor with over 3,100 career snaps, Cooper delivered a commendable 2025 campaign with a 78.9 PFF pass-block grade and just 12 pressures allowed on 550 pass-blocking snaps (98.8% block efficiency), showcasing improved stability in protection. He wins with power and re-anchor ability, using quick, forceful hands to halt momentum and create displacement on double teams and drive blocks. Cooper’s game is built for tight quarters, where his size, core strength and body control allow him to neutralize defenders, but his limited athleticism and inconsistent pad level show up when he’s forced to operate in space. Penalties are a concern with 19 over his career (8 in 2025), reflecting lapses in technique and timing. With scheme-dependent value and guard-only experience, Cooper projects as a power-scheme starter candidate whose ceiling is tied to minimizing penalties and improving consistency against quick interior defenders.

The Jets traded No. 128 and No. 140 to the Bengals for this pick and No. 199. Klubnik (6’2/207) was the No. 1 QB of the 2022 recruiting class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. The former Clemson Tiger peaked in 2024, throwing for 3,642-36-6 while leading his team to a 10-4 record, but he regressed to a 2,946-16-6 line in 2025, completing 65.2 percent of his passes. He’s an undersized but mobile QB who totaled 878 rushing yards and 17 rush touchdowns in his career, but managed just 94 rushing yards last season. Some of that can be attributed to the decline in designed runs he saw from 2024 to 2025. When Klubnik was at his best, he operated in an offense that ran RPOs at a 20.8 percent clip, per TruMedia, so the dip to a 13.8 percent RPO rate last season may explain some of his struggles. His career 5.7 ADOT on completed passes, along with his underwhelming big-time throw rate of 3.8 percent, per PFF, offers a behind-the-scenes look at Klubnik’s career adjusted completion percentage of 74.9 percent, but the numbers fall off drastically when he pushes the ball into the short and intermediate parts of the field. His traits and former five-star pedigree will warrant a further look, but Klubnik seems destined for a backup QB role at the next level. However, he’ll get the chance to compete against Geno Smith for the Jets’ starting job this season.

The Jets add another defensive player after being one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year under head coach Aaron Glenn. Jackson Jr. (6’5/315) is a massive, long-levered interior presence whose 93.5% run-defense tackle share and 93.9% tackle efficiency underscore his ability to consistently be around the football in the trenches. He logged 46 tackles with 4 TFL, 1 sack and 6 run stops in 2025, operating more as a space-eating anchor than a disruptive penetrator (4 havoc plays). Jackson flashes the ability to two-gap with his length, using his 7-foot-plus wingspan to lock out blockers and clog rushing lanes. However, his high pad level, narrow base and inconsistent hand timing lead to reps where he’s uprooted or washed out, limiting his down-to-down consistency despite rare physical tools.

Ponds will join a New York coverage unit that was by far the NFL’s worst in 2025. No team allowed a higher drop back EPA than the Jets last season and six teams gave up a higher drop back success rate. Ponds (5’8/182) is a hyper-competitive, zone-savvy ball-hawk who pairs elite production with high-end speed metrics (4.38 forty, 8.25 RAS). He logged 778 snaps in 2025 with an 89.9 overall grade and 89.5 coverage grade, allowing just 32 receptions on 64 targets (50.0%) for 379 yards while consistently driving on throws from off leverage. Ponds’ three-year résumé shows steady ball disruption with strong efficiency at 0.41 yards per coverage snap in 2025 and a career 6.1% missed tackle rate. His play style is defined by excellent route recognition, spacing, and vertical carry speed, enabling him to stay in-phase and contest downfield targets despite a 5’8/182 frame. However, his lack of length and play strength shows up at the catch point and versus physical route stems, where bigger receivers can displace him and limit his finishing radius.

The Lions paid pick No. 128 to move up six spots. Moore (6’4/255) profiles as a high-end disruptor after posting 16.0 havoc plays, 10.5 TFL and 10.0 sacks across 212 pass-rush reps, pairing that production with a superb 17.5 percent pressure rate. His 37 total pressures and 13 sacks created highlight a finisher’s mentality, while his 2.57 time-to-first-pressure reflects explosive get-off and early-rep wins. Moore’s 92.3 percent tackle rate and 77.1 percent run-stop share show dependable play finishing, though his 4 run stops suggest more of a penetration-based defender than a stack-and-shed anchor. He wins with burst, bend and urgency, consistently stressing tackles with speed-to-power conversion and a relentless motor that shows up in his 19.7 percent 3rd-down pressure rate. Moore flashes disruptive hand usage and closing acceleration, forcing two fumbles while regularly collapsing the pocket from wide alignments. However, his play strength can be challenged against longer tackles, and he can be displaced when forced to play through contact in the run game. Moore has eventual starting upside in an attacking front, where his explosiveness and pass-rush efficiency can be maximized.

It’s an interesting list of teams. Just a few hours ago, Rapoport’s colleague, Tom Pelissero, reported that the Dolphins and Browns, among other teams, were calling around about trade-up opportunities. Per Rapoport, the potential candidates to be drafted are Miami QB Carson Beck, Penn State QB Drew Allar and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier. NFL insider Jordan Schultz issued a similar report minutes later, linking Beck to the Cardinals, while echoing Rapoport and Pelissero’s trade-up candidates. He believes a wide receiver run is also in play.