The New York Jets are currently enduring another miserable season in 2025.
The team is 3-9 entering Week 14, and are buried in the basement of the AFC East. It’s been disappointing considering the team had higher expectations after bringing in Aaron Glenn to be the head coach and Justin Fields to be the quarterback.
The hope was that Fields would bring much-needed stability to the team’s quarterback position, but the exact opposite has happened. After signing a two-year, $40 million in the offseason, Fields was recently benched in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor.
As a result, it seems like the team will enter another offseason needing to find a franchise passer. Patrick K. Flowers of Bleacher Nation recently published an updated mock draft that has the Jets making a bold move in the 2026 draft.
Flowers has the Jets trading up with the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 pick. The deal looks like this:
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Titans receive: No. 7 pick, No. 23 pick, 2027 first-round pick
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Jets receive: No. 1 pick
With the top pick, Flowers has the Jets selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza has exploded onto the scene in 2025, his first season with the Indiana Hoosiers. The quarterback has thrown for 2,758 yards with 32 touchdowns and five interceptions. Mendoza leads all FBS passers in touchdown passes and leads the Big 10 in yards per attempt.
The Florida native has an NFL arm and is extremely accurate. Mendoza is also mobile enough, with 440 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores in his college career.
Mendoza is also the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and he’s preparing to lead his Hoosiers in the Big 10 Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
If the Jets made this move, Mendoza would likely be the starter immediately. Fields is under contract in 2026, but the team could cut him after June 1 and save about $10 million against the cap.
Or, the team could decide to keep Fields around for some competition. Taylor is a free agent after this season, and the team will want someone with starting experience behind Mendoza.
Three first-round picks may seem like a steep price to move up six spots, but it would all be worth it if Mendoza hits. The Jets cannot afford to waste another season with bad quarterback play, and going the veteran route (Aaron Rodgers and Fields) has not worked lately.
