Why do the Jets own the top pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft?

TL;DR

The New York Jets hold the top pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft due to their 3-14 record, which tied them for the worst in the league. The draft order is determined by strength of schedule, giving the Jets the highest pick in the second round after the first round tiebreakers.

Key points

Jets finished 3-14 in 2025, tying for the worst record
Strength of schedule determined first round draft order
Jets have the top pick in the second round
Tiebreaker rules alternate draft order in subsequent rounds
Cardinals have the top pick in the third round

New York JetsLas Vegas RaidersArizona CardinalsTennessee Titans

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Jets own the second pick in first round the 2026 NFL Draft. However, the team also has the top pick in the second round. You might be wondering why this is. The Jets finished at 3-14 in 2025. That tied them with the Raiders, Cardinals, and Titans for the worst record in the league. For NFL Draft purposes, the first tiebreaker is strength of schedule. The Raiders had the easiest schedule of the four teams, which netted them the top overall pick. The Jets had the second easiest. Then the Cardinals had the third easiest. The Titans had the hardest among the four worst teams. The tiebreaker only applies for the first round, however. Among teams that are tied, positioning in the NFL Draft alternates by round. Thus in the second round the Jets get the top pick followed by the Cardinals, the Titans, and then the Raiders. The Cardinals own the top pick in the third round. Then come the Titans followed by the Raiders and the Jets (whose pick was traded to the Eagles in 2024 for Haason Reddick). Then in the fourth round the Titans have the top pick followed in order by the Raiders, Jets, and Cardinals. Things reset in the fifth round, and the trend continues for the rest of the NFL Draft (although the Jets have traded their original fifth, sixth, and seventh round picks). The same style of tiebreaker is in place across the NFL Draft whenever multiple teams finish the regular season tied.

Q&A

Why did the Jets finish with the top pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Jets finished with a 3-14 record, tying for the worst in the league, and had the second easiest strength of schedule, allowing them to secure the top pick in the second round.

How does the NFL Draft tiebreaker system work for teams with the same record?

The tiebreaker for the first round is based on strength of schedule, while for subsequent rounds, the draft order alternates among tied teams.

What teams are involved in the tiebreaker for the 2026 NFL Draft's top picks?

The teams involved in the tiebreaker are the Jets, Raiders, Cardinals, and Titans, all of which finished with the same record.