This post was originally published on this site.
NFL draft pundit Daniel Jeremiah recently dropped a casual bomb on The Rich Eisen Show that involves the New York Jets. It especially involves those Jets fans who would love to see Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza make his way to New Jersey.
On Friday, Jeremiah, nearly unprompted, made it clear that the Jets will likely try to trade up to No. 1 with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I think the Jets would effort with all the picks that they’ve accumulated to try and see if they can pry that pick away from the Raiders,” Jeremiah said. “The buzz down here amongst all the teams is there’s no chance the Raiders would trade off of that pick. They are going to get their guy.
“I 100 percent think [the Jets] would [try to make a trade]; 100 percent, but it’s irrelevant because [the Raiders] are not going to pass up an opportunity to get Mendoza. I don’t think the Raiders are going to do that.”
Wait, what?
Eisen’s initial question had nothing to do with the Jets. He began the spot with Jeremiah with a prodding statement: “So, Fernando Mendoza is going to be a Raider,” followed by a bunch of nonsense about the team not having the ability to protect him and/or not being ready for such a high-level quarterback prospect.
All Jeremiah said, before getting to the Jets quote seen above, is, “Yeah.”
All I can say in response to a newsworthy item like this is, “Be careful.”
The cost it’ll take for Aaron Glenn and company to move up just one spot, in a perceived one-quarterback draft, would be astronomical. Once Dante Moore decided to return to Oregon, the Jets lost all of their quarterback leverage at No. 2.
Interestingly, in the timing-based Tanner Engstrand offense, I could have seen the team foaming at the mouth for the Heisman Trophy winner, considering he lived in the three-step-timing and RPO collegiate world. Also, if Glenn is indeed on the hot seat, trading up for the QB1 in the 2026 NFL draft would make sense in a “now or never” kind of way.
However, if Glenn and Darren Mougey are worth their salt in any way — in the personnel department — I don’t anticipate them considering a trade-up for Mendoza.
Not only does Mendoza have a fatal flaw at the professional level (a lack of pocket poise and overall pocket comfort), but the odds are strong that he’s simply perceived as the best quarterback in a bad quarterback draft. Let’s also not forget just how dominant the Indiana team was as a whole, led by mastermind Curt Cignetti, which undoubtedly helps a quarterback prospect’s draft stock (see Justin Fields with Ohio State in 2021).
Speaking of that 2021 class, sure, Trevor Lawrence was considered “generational,” but has he lived up to the billing? Either way, Jets fans who were arguing over Fields, Zach Wilson, or even Trey Lance are left gobsmacked by how brutal the class was.
In 2022, there was nobody. Kenny Pickett was the first guy taken, while the likes of Bailey Zappe, Desmond Ridder, and Sam Howell haven’t done much. (Malik Willis remains the great hope for this class.)
Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota don’t let anybody remember the 2015 NFL draft fondly for quarterbacks. Jets fans wouldn’t dare fight for Bryce Petty either.
Far too often, when an NFL draft features a poor quarterback class across the board, the teams at the top either don’t recognize that or refuse to accept it. It’s certainly possible that Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, or somebody else shocks the NFL world in 2026 and/or beyond, but when a team is faced with a quarterback class so questionable, trading up from No. 2 to 1 is a dangerous proposition.
It’s usually the much better course to target an underrated or undervalued player.
But hey, what do I know? After a 3-14 first season in the Aaron Glenn regime, nothing would surprise me at this point. At the very least, New York Jets fans, I would advise you to take this Daniel Jeremiah news with a grain of salt.