The New York Jets entered the 2026 NFL Draft knowing they didn't stand a chance at landing a franchise quarterback. Despite finishing with the league's worst record at 3-14, the writing was on the wall as soon as Week 18 ended: the Las Vegas Raiders would hold the No. 1 overall pick. Even though four teams finished with identical 3-14 records, the NFL's strength of schedule tiebreaker handed the Raiders the top spot.
In what scouts called a one-quarterback draft, that meant Las Vegas had the golden ticket to select Fernando Mendoza first overall. The Jets, desperate for a quarterback just like the Raiders, were left to take the best defensive player available—EDGE rusher David Bailey. It was a bitter pill for a fanbase starving for hope under center.
But after Tuesday's wild NHL Draft Lottery, it's hard not to wonder: would the Jets have benefited from a similar system?
The Vancouver Canucks entered the NHL lottery with the best odds to grab the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Entry Draft. Instead, the Toronto Maple Leafs—who had only the fifth-best odds—miraculously won the lottery and now control the rights to the top prospect. The Maple Leafs and Jets share a lot in common: both are passionate, tortured fanbases hungry for a breakthrough. For Toronto, coming off their worst season in a decade, that lottery win was an electric moment that completely changed the trajectory of their franchise.
The NFL's current system has its flaws. Take the Raiders and Tennessee Titans, for example. Both finished 3-14, but because Las Vegas beat Tennessee during the regular season, the Raiders landed the No. 1 pick while the Titans fell to No. 4. A single head-to-head result shouldn't carry that much weight.
Using strength of schedule to determine draft order is an inexact science at best. Teams evolve throughout the season—some get hot late, others lose key players to injury. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't always deliver just results.
And let's be honest: the NFL loves creating primetime spectacles. The schedule release gets more attention than it probably deserves. Imagine an NFL Draft lottery on a major network in primetime—with the kind of drama and hope the NHL just delivered. For a team like the Jets, that might be the game-changer they need.