Last year, during his first season as New York Jets general manager, Darren Mougey pulled off several incredible trades that yielded multiple first-round picks to the New York Jets in the 2027 NFL Draft. Now armed with three of them – two of which are currently projected to be in the top-six – the Jets are getting a head start on scouting one of the top QB prospects in the upcoming draft.
That prospect is Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. The former North Texas QB has been one of the breakout superstars of the 2026 college football season, lifting the Cowboys from an unranked team with no hope back into the national spotlight.
Ahead of Oklahoma State's game against Kansas State today, one of the Cowboys' guests on the sidelines was none other than Mougey himself. Video showed him speaking to Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Sean Brophy during the pregame warmups.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport suggested that Mestemaker could be seen as an option for the No. 1 overall pick and is probably on the Jets' radar at the very least.
Multiple outlets have already identified Mestemaker as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft and one of the very few that is seen as a top-10 overall prospect. He's certainly earned the ranking with the way he's played this season.
Through the first eight games he has completed 65.5-percent of his passes for 2,649 yards and 25 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Not bad for a team that ranked in the bottom half in the Big 12 Conference preseason rankings.
A fit for the Jets?
The far bigger question is whether Mestemaker would be a fit for the Jets and what their plan would be. As it stands, they're 2-6 on the 2026 season and primed to miss the playoffs for the 16th straight season – one of the longest such droughts in NFL history.
Despite that, they've been getting decent production out of starting quarterback Geno Smith this year. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that the Jets bring Smith back in 2027 and allow Mestemaker to sit behind him and develop.
The far bigger question will be who would coach Mestemaker. Head coach Aaron Glenn is believed to be on borrowed time in New York after going 5-20 in his first 25 games.
It might behoove the Jets to get a little bit of stability on the coaching staff before they invest valuable draft capital into a quarterback.
Will Mestemaker be a Jet in 2027?
This story was originally published by The Spun on Nov 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.