The NY Jets may have quietly come out as the biggest winners of Friday night’s trade that sent Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders without making a single move. As a result, they ended up 19 spots higher in the 2025 NFL Draft order — well, kind of.
When the Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders last October, it was understood that they had sent the better of their two third-round selections. Until Friday, it was believed that the Jets held the No. 92 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
That pick was acquired in a 2024 draft-day trade with the Detroit Lions, where the Jets sent the No. 126 overall pick in the fourth round to Detroit in exchange for the Lions' 2025 third-round pick. Meanwhile, the Jets' own third-round pick, No. 73 overall, was initially believed to have been sent to Las Vegas in the Adams trade.
It turns out that wasn’t actually the case. The third-round pick the Raiders sent to the Seattle Seahawks for Smith on Friday was actually No. 92 overall. This means, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo later clarified, the Jets still own pick No. 73, contrary to previous reports.
Of course, the Jets were already aware of this — it's not exactly a revelation for Darren Mougey and company. However, this is new information for fans, analysts, and the general public, who had been under the impression that the Jets' pick was 19 spots lower in the third round.
NY Jets' draft pick is actually 19 spots higher than expected
For what it's worth, this is far from an insignificant jump. Many fans may not realize just how valuable moving up 19 spots on Day 2 of the draft actually is.
Jimmy Johnson's draft pick trade value chart, a widely used tool for measuring draft capital, helps put the Jets' unexpected draft upgrade into perspective. According to the chart, the difference between pick No. 92 and No. 73 is roughly equivalent to the value of the last pick in the third round or the first pick in the fourth round.
In other words, this mix-up essentially gifted the Jets the equivalent of an extra late-third or early-fourth-round pick without them having to do anything. That's a big deal.
The Jets now have three picks inside the top 75 of this year's draft, and instead of waiting 50 spots between selections, they'll be back on the clock much earlier in the third round.
With this class boasting strong depth at positions like tight end and defensive line, the Jets could have a prime opportunity to upgrade important areas of need.
This unexpected draft positioning boost gives the Jets increased flexibility to address key needs or even explore trade opportunities. While it may not be a franchise-altering development, every bit of draft capital matters, especially for a team with plenty of roster holes to fill.
