The New York Jets have punted using a premium resource on the quarterback position until the 2027 NFL draft.
Justin Melo of NFL Draft on SI projected the Jets would do that in his way-too-early 2027 mock draft. He specifically predicted that the Jets would select South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round.
“LaNorris Sellers is a traits-first quarterback prospect who will probably generate back-and-forth debate next offseason. Sellers is big, strong, and athletic with a cannon for an arm. Pocket presence and general decision making must improve, but the upside and high-level tools are undeniable,” Melo wrote.
Sellers Needed Another Year of Development
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound passer was expected to be one of the first picks of the 2026 NFL draft.
However, the 2025 college season didn’t go as he or his South Carolina teammates had anticipated.
The Gamecocks finished with an underwhelming 4-8 record. Sellers delivered a subpar season. He appeared in 12 games, completed 60.8% of his passes, threw for 2,437 passing yards, and had a 13 touchdown to eight interception ratio.
He toted the rock 149 times for 270 rushing yards and scored five rushing touchdowns.
Instead of entering the 2026 NFL draft under those circumstances, he opted to return to school to try to rebuild his stock heading into 2027.
Sellers, 20, will turn 21 before the start of the 2026 season.
A Chance to Be a Historic Draft in the NFL
In Melo’s 32-pick projection, he had five quarterbacks going in the first round:
- Arizona Cardinals: Arch Manning, QB, Texas; No. 1 overall
- Cleveland Browns: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon; No. 3 overall
- New York Jets: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina; No. 4 overall
- Pittsburgh Steelers: CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame; No. 8 overall
- Detroit Lions: Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State; No. 23 overall
In 2026, it was a one-horse race with quarterbacks. The Jets finished with the No. 2 overall pick. Go figure.
That isn’t the case in 2027. With five projected quarterbacks expected to go in the first round, the Jets won’t have to end up with the No. 1 overall pick to secure their QB of the future.
The Jets control the 2027 NFL draft. They hold three first-round picks in that class. Those are golden Willy Wonka tickets. Any of them could cash in big time.
The green and white have their own first, the Indianapolis Colts’ first-rounder from the Sauce Gardner trade, and whatever first-round pick ends up finishing better between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.
Who knows exactly where those picks will land, but that gives the Jets multiple whacks at the piñata. The NFL is full of surprises every year. Some teams rise, and some teams fall; that is what makes this sport so exciting.
With multiple quarterbacks and multiple picks, the Jets are in the best position they have been in a long time to fill the long-term quarterback void on the roster.
In other words, this doesn’t have to be a tank season for the Jets. Head coach Aaron Glenn certainly won’t be guiding the ship in that direction on purpose because he may not be here next year if the Jets finish with a poor record. They can win games, and there is a path to landing a top pick to secure that quarterback.
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