BAILEY, SADIQ, COOPER: JETS TRIPLE DIP IN DRAFT ROUND 1
Date: 24/04/2026
Author: ERIC ALLEN
Entering night one of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets were one of six teams who owned two first-round picks. After selecting Texas Tech edge David Bailey (No. 2 overall) and Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16 overall), the Green & White moved back into the first round and used the 30th pick to take Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
“When you have targets, you identify guys you like, you love – you go get them,” said HC Aaron Glenn. “And that’s exactly what we did today.”
“And any time you can bring guys with a winning background on your team, that only helps the morale of your team. So, there’s a lot of things that goes into that, but to get three first-round picks and the caliber guys that we got, the personality, the mentality, the football character, all those things are huge, bringing those guys on our team.”
For months, pundits wondered if the Jets would opt for Bailey or Ohio State edge/LB Arvell Reese with the No. 2 selection. Although they liked both players, Bailey’s pass rushing prowess stood tall and made the decision easy for the Green & White. Last season, Bailey (6-5, 251) tied for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks and he ranked second with 19 TFL. Reese was taken by the crosstown Giants with the 5th pick in the draft.
“Both of those guys… are really good players,” Glenn said. “Listen, Arvell’s going to have a really good career in this league, but when you just continue to evaluate those guys, we just felt like Bailey fit us better when it comes to he’s a 6’4″, 255 pound man with 34 inch arms that has a ton of production in college. Listen, we looked at all those things, and he fits us.”
Then midway through the round, the Jets got an athletic freak in Sadiq with the 16th overall pick. Sadiq (6-3, 241) set an Oregon record for tight ends with 51 receptions and led all FBS TEs with 8 receiving TDs. He posted a 4.39-time in the 40-yard dash and recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL Combine in February.
“Sadiq was a player that, obviously we studied, spent a lot of time on and valued as an offensive weapon,” said GM Darren Mougey. “And when he was there it was really a no-brainer for us, just to add another weapon to the offense. And Frank’s (Reich) got a great vision for the player and how we can use him in multiple ways and get in 12-personnel and do different things and just use him as another weapon and make it tough on the defense.”
With US receiver Makai Lemon (No. 20, PHI) and Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion (No. 24, CLE) still on the board, the Jets opted for a player in Sadiq who will give them a plethora of options. He’ll join a TE room that already includes Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert.
“We’re going to be able to dictate as far as the defense is concerned on what are you going to play,” Glenn said. “Are you going to be in base, are you going to be in nickel? And he brings that value to us. There are so many positions that he can play for us that’s going to make us be able to open up the offense and Frank (Reich) has a really, really good vision for this player.”
Then late in the opening round, Mougey traded the Jets’ first pick of Round 2, No. 33 overall, plus a fifth-round compensatory selection, No. 179 overall, to San Francisco for the 30th pick of the draft. With that selection, the Jets zeroed in on Cooper (6-0, 199). The versatile wideout led Indiana last season with 69 receptions for 937 receiving yards and amassed 13 receiving TDs.
“Omar Cooper (Jr.) was a guy that we had good grades on and when we saw him there towards the end, an opportunity to give up a comp fifth, pick 179, to get back up and get the fifth-year option and just make sure we got our guy – we felt really good about,” Mougey said. “Again, to add another weapon, a guy that’s got RACs, strong hands, can insert block, has a little versatility to play inside and outside.”
The Jets are scheduled to pick just once Friday night as they hold the No. 44 overall selection in Round 2. The Jets also own two picks in both Rounds 4 (No. 103 and No. 140) and Round 7 (No. 228 and No. 242).
