Jets Insider Names 2 QBs Team is Eyeing in 2026 NFL Draft

Some believe the New York Jets are trying to find a way to get Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson somewhere in the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL draft.

They could take him straight up with the 16th overall pick, or the team could trade back into the end of the first round and grab him before another team moves up for him (New York has the first pick in the second round, No. 33 overall).

But according to Jets insider Sal Paolantonio, he's heard the Jets actually aren't looking at Simpson.

In fact, Paolantonio named two quarterbacks the Jets are considering in the later rounds of the draft that fans should keep an eye on.

"I'd be shocked if they take a quarterback like Ty Simpson in the first round," Paolantonio said on ESPN's draft show. "I'm hearing there is no expectation that will happen. They have to get the quarterback of the future at some point in this draft. Yes, they have Geno Smith. He was a starter he in 2013 to 2015, but he's going to be 36 this year coming off 17 interceptions - led the NFL - he is a bridge. But right now, it's a bridge to nowhere because you don't have the future at the quarterback position.

"Maybe in the third or fourth round they go after Drew Allar [from] Penn State? Fits the profile of their offensive coordinator Frank Reich. … And remember this name maybe later on - Taylen Green [from] Arkansas. Sith- or seventh-round, could be a guy they really develop under Frank Reich."

Allar has been linked to the Jets in recent days, and he could make sense as a third- or fourth-round option. He's coming off a season-ending leg injury, so it's unlikely he could contribute much as a rookie.

Green, however, is another story. He turned heads by clocking a 4.36 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and he has prototypical NFL size at 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds.

Of the two, Allar has more NFL upside - some scouts have said he's the most physically talented QB in the draft class, he just hasn't figured out how to put everything together on the field.

However, Green is the kind of player the Jets can stash on the bench for 1-2 seasons and groom to take over as the eventual starter.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 4:57 PM.