The Jets bolstered their defense with their first pick Thursday night and then addressed their offense with two more first-round picks.
The Jets selected Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 16 overall pick and then traded back into the first round to take Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30, giving new offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterback Geno Smith some weapons after doing little in free agency at receiver.
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tRY IT NOW“It was definitely important,” Jets general manager Darren Mougey said. “But we were still stacking the board with players we think can help us based on overall value. Sadiq as an overall weapon was there and we think it’s great value. And then Cooper added another weapon — a guy with strong hands who can block and play inside and outside. I feel really good about those two additions.”
Sadiq had 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for the Ducks last season and was a second-team All-American. The 6-foot-3, 241-pounder ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“It’s unreal,” Sadiq said. “It being the Jets, it’s special. I have some family down there. My sister currently lives in New York [as an NYU student], so I’m happy to get down there. Like I said, great interactions with all the staff, you know, in meetings and everything. I’m beyond excited, super grateful. I mean, David Bailey said already, man, that this organization is trending in the right direction. I’m just a piece that can help, and I’m ready to help.”
The Jets took Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overlal in the 2026 NFL Draft. Getty ImagesSadiq has the ability to line up as a receiver and is a versatile football player the Jets can move around the formation. The Jets just drafted Mason Taylor in the second round a year ago, so they now have a pair of athletic tight ends.
“I think it’s versatility, speed and toughness, bro,” Sadiq said of his strengths. “Seriously, I can help in the run and the pass game. On top of that, I’m going to contribute on special teams as well. That’s what I did at Oregon. That’s what I’ll continue to do. I can create separation, but I can also go hit someone.
“I play fast and I play hard and that’s two things I pride myself on. I’m gonna go hit someone. I’m gonna run past someone. I’m gonna jump over someone.”
Reich should be able to use Sadiq as a matchup nightmare. He is too fast for linebackers to cover and too big for defensive backs to cover.
If there is a knock on Sadiq, it is that he had six drops last season. That is something he did not duck when asked about it Thursday night.
“That’s 100 percent accurate,” Sadiq said. “Yeah, six drops on the season. It’s definitely uncharacteristic. If you go watch those drops, they’re the easy ones, man. That’s something I really took on the chin and realized that’s something I need to improve on.”
The expectation before the draft was that the Jets would take a wide receiver at No. 16. After passing on them to take Sadiq, Mougey made a move to get back into the first round when he saw Cooper falling. He traded the No. 33 (second round) and No. 179 (fifth round) picks to the 49ers for the No. 30 pick. By taking Cooper in the first round, the Jets will now have a fifth-year option on him.
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) against the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectCooper had 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns for the national champion Hoosiers last year.
“Omar Cooper was a guy we had good grades on,” Mougey said. “We felt really good about that. He’s got great hands, strong hands, can block, has a little versatility to play inside and outside. [I] feel really good about those two offensive additions.”






