New York's brass went to Tuscaloosa to meet face-to-face with the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the 2026 draft.
Rich CiminiMar 29, 2026, 06:00 AM ET
- Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. Going deep: The great quarterback search -- ongoing for about, oh, 50 years -- ramped up over the last 10 days as the Jets got up-close and personal with some of the top prospects in the upcoming draft.
Most of the attention focused on Alabama's Ty Simpson, widely considered the No. 2 quarterback prospect. Simpson spent time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Thursday night (dinner) and Friday morning (private workout) with the Jets' top decision-makers (general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn) and resident QB gurus (offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave).
The Jets have two first-round picks (No. 2 and No. 16), and the drama will be thick if Simpson is on the board when the Jets are on the clock.
Some might be wondering if the Simpson flirtation is a smokescreen. It's not; there is some level of interest. How much remains to be seen. This much is clear: The Jets are doing a deep dive into the QB class.
Mougey & Co. dined with Miami's Carson Beck last Sunday on the eve of his pro day. They worked out Penn State's Drew Allar on March 20 at the team facility, according to SNY TV. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier told the NFL Network that the Jets were scheduled for a private visit this past week.
They're checking into lesser-known prospects as well, including UConn's Joe Fagnano, a potential Day 3 pick who threw 28 touchdown passes and only one interception last season.
The Jets haven't been this visible on the quarterback pro day circuit since 2021, when they drafted Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall. Before that, it was 2018, when they used the third overall pick on Sam Darnold. Unlike in those years, the current Jets aren't locked into taking a quarterback, adding another layer of intrigue.
They might opt to make the big move in 2027, when they have three first-round picks in what is expected to be a quarterback-rich draft. Of course, there's no guarantee they will land one of them in '27.
There's risk in waiting until then, and there would be risk in using a first-round pick on Simpson, considering his lack of college experience (15 starts). Part of the GM's job is risk management, so it's on Mougey to do what's in the best interest of the organization.
"I wouldn't be in a rush to draft a quarterback this year," ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid said. "Personally, I don't have Simpson rated that high at No. 16 overall. That would be a little bit too rich for me. But if he's there with one of those other picks in the second round (33 and 44), I would feel a little bit better about that."
2. Frequent flyers: For Mougey and Glenn, one of the advantages of being in Year 2 is having the flexibility to get out of the office to evaluate players in person, which they've done to the max.
In a span of six days, Mougey and Glenn hit five college towns on a cross-country scouting junket. We're talking about 13-plus hours of flying time and roughly 5,800 air miles.
No, they didn't have to worry about long security lines. These Jets traveled by private jet.
They went from Miami to Notre Dame to Ohio State to Texas Tech for pro days, then stopped in Alabama for their visit with Simpson.
On Sunday, they will be in Phoenix for the start of the NFL's annual spring meetings. Glenn is scheduled to meet the media Tuesday morning at the AFC coaches' breakfast.
3. American's got talent: Across their travels, Mougey and Glenn saw no fewer than 10 players likely to end up in the first round, including Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.
The Jets dined with Reese in Columbus, Ohio, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. At the pro day, Glenn was seen paying close attention to Reese in drills. With the second overall pick, the decision could come down to Reese or Bailey.
Bailey is more developed as a pass rusher than Reese, but Reese could be a chess piece in Glenn's defense because of his ability to play multiple positions. He can be an off-ball linebacker on first and second down, an edge rusher on third down. That has to be intriguing for the Jets, who need a playmaker in the front seven.
2:19
Ty Simpson discusses Alabama Pro Day, transition to NFL
QB Simpson discusses the joy of throwing to his Tide teammates, shares what NFL teams can expect from his game and describes the transition of being between teams ahead of the draft.
4. Wide view: With free agency and trades, Mougey has addressed almost every positional need, with one notable exception: wide receiver. Rest assured, he has a plan.
He has four of the top 44 picks in the draft, which isn't top-heavy with elite talent but runs deep.
"I think receivers are going to fly off the board on Day 2," Reid said.
Don't sleep on the possibility of Mougey trading for a veteran. It's already been an active offseason for wide receiver trades, and you're talking about a GM who has made 12 player trades in a little over a year.
Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars), Rashod Bateman (Baltimore Ravens), Quentin Johnston (Los Angeles Chargers) and Dontayvion Wicks (Green Bay Packers) have been mentioned as trade possibilities.
5. Helping hands: Two Jets quarterbacks coaches -- one past, one present -- played a key role in the improbable rise of Fernando Mendoza, a lightly recruited quarterback out of Columbus High School in Coral Gables, Florida.
David Lee, retired from NFL coaching after a long career that included a two-year stint on Rex Ryan's staff (2013-14), was Mendoza's personal coach during his high school years. Lee sharpened Mendoza's mechanics, then recommended him to Musgrave, the Cal offensive coordinator.
Musgrave flew to South Florida for a private workout and offered him a scholarship on the spot, kick-starting Mendoza's journey from Cal to Indiana to Heisman Trophy winner to presumptive No. 1 pick for the Las Vegas Raiders.
It's unlikely that Musgrave will get a chance to coach Mendoza this season -- unless the Raiders shock the world by trading the pick to the Jets.