Darren Mougey is shown during a press conference where he was introduced as the new general manager of the New York Jets, at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Monday, January 27, 2025, in Florham Park.
The Jets 2027 draft picks are giving fans another reason to watch the standings, even if nobody wanted to be having this conversation in October. They own three first-round selections, and the October 29 outlook has those picks sitting at Nos. 7, 10 and 12. Now the Indianapolis Colts have become sellers, which could make the pick they owe the Jets even more valuable. A long-running debate has been to tank, or not to tank. From my personal view point, I always root for the Jets to win. Although, in seasons like this, when they lose to the winless Dolphins I understand the tanking point of view.
Looking ahead has become part of following this team, whether fans are studying college quarterbacks, tracking draft positioning or reading resources such as the football365.com Polymarket welcome breakdown explained. For Jets fans, the biggest development this week is that Indianapolis has started moving established talent out of the building. That could have a direct impact on where Darren Mougey gets to pick next April.
The Jets have their own first-round selection, which currently sits at No. 10 in the October 29 outlook citing Tankathon. That pick will be determined by how New York finishes the season and the applicable draft-order tiebreakers.
The Indianapolis selection, currently No. 7, came from the Sauce Gardner trade. The Jets sent Gardner to the Colts in November 2025 and received wide receiver Adonai Mitchell along with first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. The 2026 selection became Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16, and the Jets still have the second first-rounder coming next April.
The third selection came from sending Quinnen Williams to Dallas. That deal brought back defensive lineman Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round selection. Importantly, the Jets receive the earlier of the Dallas and Green Bay first-round picks that the Cowboys control. Dallas acquired the Green Bay selection in the Micah Parsons trade, so Jets fans have a reason to watch both teams.
| 2027 First-Round Pick | October 29 Position | How the Jets Acquired It |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | No. 7 | Sauce Gardner trade |
| New York Jets | No. 10 | Own selection |
| Earlier of Dallas / Green Bay | No. 12 in the current outlook | Quinnen Williams trade with Dallas |
These positions are an October snapshot, not the final draft order. There is plenty of football remaining, and the Tankathon draft board will continue changing as results and tiebreakers develop.
Indianapolis made two major moves on October 27, trading guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco. These are established veterans who helped anchor their respective lines. Moving both is a pretty clear indication that the Colts are putting more emphasis on their future.
The Nelson trade brought Indianapolis a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder, while Buckner was dealt for a 2027 fourth-round selection. Those moves give the Colts additional draft capital, but they also remove two important players from the team trying to win games over the remainder of this season.
From the Jets perspective, that matters. Losing Nelson could make life more difficult for the Indianapolis offense, while losing Buckner takes an experienced difference-maker out of the defensive front. Neither trade guarantees a collapse, but there is a reasonable argument that the Colts have made their remaining schedule harder to navigate.
If Indianapolis continues sliding in the standings, its first-round selection could move earlier than its current No. 7 position. That is the opportunity for New York: the Colts can lose more games and improve a Jets draft pick without the Jets having to lose those games themselves. Other teams and tiebreakers will influence the order, so there is no automatic move into the top five.
There is also a difference between confirmed trades and speculation about who might be next. Jonathan Taylor has been mentioned in trade reporting, but he remains a Colt as of this writing. The Jets already have enough reason to monitor Indianapolis based on the Nelson and Buckner deals without counting another move before it happens.
Three first-round picks give Mougey several ways to approach the offseason. If the Jets identify a quarterback they believe can lead this franchise, they have resources to explore a move. If that player is available at one of their existing selections, they could keep the other picks and address multiple needs around him.
Having the picks does not mean the Jets should throw them all into a trade just because they can. This roster needs dependable starters and better depth, and a young quarterback would need a functioning team around him. The scouting, coaching plan and roster construction have to work together.
Trading Gardner and Williams meant moving on from two of the best players the Jets had developed. The return has to become more than an interesting draft-night graphic. With Indianapolis selling and three early selections currently on the board, Mougey has a real opportunity to build something better. Now he needs to turn that opportunity into players who help the Jets win.