Jets Receive Brutally Honest News Despite Beating Falcons

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts making a play during an NFL game against the New York Jets.

The New York Jets defeated the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13, but it came at a cost.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini bluntly said that the Jets “probably cost themselves a shot at the No. 1 pick” with that victory.

The Athletic revealed that five teams are currently in the running to land the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Gang Green’s chances have dropped to 3% — the lowest of any team in the running.

Here are the percentages of the other teams ahead of the Jets in this race: Tennessee Titans (56%), Las Vegas Raiders (19%), New Orleans Saints (14%), and the New York Giants (4%), per The Athletic’s analytical model.

The Latest Tankathon Update

If the 2026 NFL draft started today, the Jets would hold the No. 7 overall pick in the first round, per Tankathon.

However, if the Jets had lost to Atlanta in Week 13, the team would currently hold the No. 3 overall pick, per Tankathon.

“The Jets entered Sunday with the third-best odds for the No. 1 pick and would have seen a 17 percent boost if they lost against the Atlanta Falcons,” Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic wrote.

“So basically, they kissed it goodbye — and that’s OK. Winning games is important for an organization that has suffered through 10 straight losing seasons. It’s especially important for coach Aaron Glenn, whose first season has been difficult. A come-from-behind win, with all three phases contributing, is what mattered most for the Jets, who have won three of their past five,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote.

Something to Root for Down the Stretch

The topic of tanking is divisive among the fan base. Some want to root for losses, ensuring a better spot in the draft. Others want to win games because, quite frankly, this team hasn’t done a lot of that over the last 15 years, and the draft is a crap shoot.

NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed what Jets fans should be rooting for the rest of the way.

“Key for them now is the team finishing 1 or 2, not needing a QB. That’s the case at the moment with Titans & Giants,” Hughes explained on social media.

“And finishing with the top pick doesn’t matter as long as the teams selecting No. 1 and 2 don’t need quarterbacks. That’s the case right now with the Titans and Giants, who sit at 2-10. Neither team is expected to move on from Cam Ward or Jaxson Dart. Both would be open to trading back. So if the Jets identify a quarterback they love, they’ll still have a clear path to moving up and getting him,” Hughes wrote in a column for SNY.

Here Are Some Cold Hard Truths About the Jets and the Draft

Zach Wilson was the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Darron Lee was the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. Dee Milliner was the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Vernon Gholston was the No. 6 overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft.

Are you starting to get the picture?

The Jets have proven that they can screw up at literally any point of the first round. This process is a complete and utter crap shoot — an inexact science.

So does it really matter if you pick at one spot or the other?

They have also proven that they can hit the lottery at any random point in the first round.

Darrelle Revis was the No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. Nick Mangold was the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. Aaron Glenn was the No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft. Sauce Gardner was the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.