I think the New York Jets’ first round of the 2026 NFL Draft could be a mixed bag. The part of it I want to focus on is the fact that they drafted another tight end who is a good receiver but may not be the greatest pass blocker. 

I am not an NFL Draft expert. I am a New York Jets fan who has seen a lot of different scenarios get re-created over the years with different regimes. It has added to the team’s overall lack of consistent success in the draft. 

The first question I would ask is, was Kenyon Sadiq a need or a luxury pick? I think he was a luxury pick for a team that has more needs than a second pass-catching tight end, including Mason Taylor. Look up, Johnny Mitchell. He was that kind of tight end.

The fact that Sadiq thought the Jets calling him was a prank call was telling. He wasn’t expecting the Jets to select him, and there’s no way people had thought the Jets were after him at that point in the draft. 

I have lived through a lot of “off the board” picks with this franchise and for better or worse, this is another, and we will wait and see how this turns out.

The one player the Jets have that is completely safe is Jeremy Ruckert. Why? Because he’s their one tight end who can block in all situations. 

For full transparency, there was a time, decades ago, where I thought having two tight ends was helpful. This isn’t the time. 

Remember, the Eagles-Steelers situation with Makai Lemon never happens if the Jets draft him. But they went in a different direction and then eventually got a wide receiver but not the same quality as Lemon.

That’s my issue, and I hope that I’m wrong.