Jets Aim to Shift Losing Culture with New Draft Picks

This year’s Jets can claim something that last season’s squad couldn’t— they made the playoffs after the 2025 season.

New recruits David Bailey, Kenyon Saddiq, Omar Cooper, and D’Angelo Pons participated in the College Football Playoff last year, facing off against teams like Texas Tech, Oregon State, and Indiana. In fact, Bailey and Saddiq went head-to-head, with Oregon State besting Texas Tech before ultimately losing to Indiana, where Cooper and Pons played, securing the national championship.

Throughout the draft discussions, these players expressed a strong desire to help break the Jets’ lengthy losing tradition. There’s hope that their winning backgrounds will help end a 15-year playoff drought and a decade of losses.

“What really matters for the guys already here is their experience in winning programs,” noted Jets coach Aaron Glenn after the first round of the draft. “Bringing that mentality into the locker room? That’s a big deal. Omar, for example, made that game-winning catch against Penn State. And we saw Bailey’s impressive plays too—he’s had forced fumbles and played with intensity. These players have all had moments where they stepped up to win games, so getting them was crucial.”

Glenn has high hopes for these four players, believing they can influence a cultural shift from losing to winning. Cooper and Pons were part of an Indiana team that turned its fortunes around, going from consistent losers to national champions.

Cooper reflects on how he might translate that success to Florham Park. “I think it’s about the mindset that I’ve developed and getting others involved. Relationship-building in the locker room was key for our success; we truly played for one another.”

Bailey transferred from Stanford to Texas Tech last year, where the Red Raiders made a significant leap to the playoffs during his time there.

When asked about bringing lessons from tech to the NFL, Bailey replied, “Absolutely, yes. Our achievements in the tech space were team efforts; it was about the coaches, the staff, and the players we worked with. I’ve discovered that establishing effective routines gets results, and I aim to apply that approach in my career.”

The Jets have made similar attempts in the past to revitalize the team’s culture through draft picks and free agents. Jamal Adams highlighted rebuilding efforts after being drafted in 2017. Similarly, the team hoped to infuse the culture of Baltimore by signing CJ Mosley in 2019.

So far, those efforts have yet to bear fruit, yet there’s a glimmer of optimism that the latest trio may alter the Jets’ trajectory.

Glenn emphasized the significance of attracting players with proven winning histories. “When you target someone, you find the right player for your team and go after them. That’s what we did, and it can really elevate team morale. Bringing in three first-round picks with winning backgrounds is invaluable and can make a serious difference.”