Sports

The New York Jets' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years

By HC Green Lindys Sports

Updated July 8, 2026 9:15 AM

Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons-injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.

Now that we've established the parameters, here are the New York Jets' five worst draft picks of the past decade:

Dishonorable Mentions

WR ArDarius Stewart (79th Overall, 2017)
LB Jachai Polite (68th Overall, 2019)
DE Jabari Zuniga (79th Overall, 2020)
OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (14th Overall, 2021)
LB Jermaine Johnson II (26th Overall, 2022)
WR Malachi Corley (65th Overall, 2024)

5) WR Denzel Mims, 59th Overall (2020)

Mims began his rookie year on Injured Reserve and did little when he was healthy. Despite that, Mims's first year in the NFL was his best as he was invisible in Years 2 and 3, eventually requesting a trade in 2022. All told, Mims caught 42 passes in three seasons without a touchdown.

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4) QB Christian Hackenberg, 51st Overall (2016)

New York snapped up Hackenberg and then watched as he emerged from his first training camp as the fourth-string quarterback behind Bryce Petty. Things got no better in his second year, and the Jets traded him to the Raiders for a conditional seventh-round pick on May 22, 2018. The Raiders cut him on June 12. Hackenberg never played a snap in the NFL, unlike Dak Prescott and Jacoby Brissett, who were taken later in that same draft.

3) WR Elijah Moore, 34th Overall (2021)

Moore was a starter as a rookie, but a quad injury ended his season after 11 games. He'd had enough of life with the Jets by the following October, requesting a trade and finishing Year 2 with a disappointing 37-446-1 line. In March 2023, the Jets granted Moore's request, dealing him and a third-round pick to Cleveland for a second-rounder.

2) QB Sam Darnold, 3rd Overall (2018)

Reminder: a bad pick isn't necessarily a bad player. Case in point, Darnold just helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title. His time in Gotham wasn't nearly as successful. The Jets gave up their own first-round pick and a trio of second-rounders to move up five spots and draft Darnold, who went 13-35 as a starter before being traded to Carolina. Making matters even worse, Josh Allen went four picks after Darnold to the rival Bills.

1) QB Zach Wilson, 2nd Overall (2021)

The 2021 draft was loaded with talent, including All-Pro-caliber players like Ja'Marr Chase, Micah Parsons, Penei Sewell, and Patrick Surtain II. New York bypassed all of them to select Wilson, who was generally awful in two seasons before the Jets effectively pulled the plug by trading for Aaron Rodgers. That Rodgers would be injured on the season's opening drive, forcing the Jets to go back to Wilson, only made the failure more spectacular. He signed with the Saints in March 2026, his fourth team in as many seasons.

This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 9:00 AM.