Joe Douglas, New Era Field
ESNY Graphic, Getty Images, AP Photo

It’s been an up-and-down year for the New York Jets, which has led to some crazy 2020 NFL Draft scenarios heading into Week 17.

Kyle Newman

The New York Jets aren’t going to playoffs. No matter what happens on Sunday, they will be watching 12 other teams battle for the Super Bowl. This will be the ninth-straight year the Jets will do so.

So, instead of looking at potential playoff scenarios, it’s best to turn the overall attention to the NFL Draft. The Jets are desperate for offensive talent and, fortunately, this draft is loaded with players who call offense their home.

Depending on what happens Sunday, the Jets could end up with a top-10 pick. They could also end up with a pick as low as 13th. That’s a huge disparity in talent and when thinking about trade-down scenarios.

Without further ado, here are all the possible NFL Draft scenarios that could unfold on Sunday:

If the Jets’ Tie

A tie would complicate things for the Jets. It would throw a wrench into the NFL Draft process. It’s also not likely to happen. If it does, it wouldn’t damage the Jets’ draft status in a huge way.

The Jets would finish the season 6-9-1. That would mean the lowest the Jets could pick would be 13th. The best they could pick is ninth.

If they tie, the Jets would need the Cardinals to win, and the Broncos, Browns and Falcons to either win or tie, to end up with the ninth pick.

If only three of those things happen, they’ll pick 10th. Two of them happening would mean an 11th overall selection. If only one happens, they’ll pick 12th.

The worst-case scenario for the Jets draft stock, if they tie, would be for the Cardinals, Falcons, Broncos and Browns to all lose. That would knock the Jets all the way down to the 13th pick in the draft.

If the Jets end up picking 13th, it would be the lowest they picked since 2016. In 2016, the Jets selected Darron Lee out of Ohio State with the 20th pick in the draft.

If the Jets’ Win

A Jets’ win is the most likely scenario on Sunday. The Bills likely won’t play their starters long, if at all. The Jets should route the Bills’ backups.

If the Jets win, their best-case scenario would be the 11th pick. Their worst-case scenario would be the 13th pick.

No matter what happens, the Jets will stay in front of the Cowboys, the Colts, and the Buccaneers. All three of those teams are 7-8 and have a stronger strength-of-schedule than the Jets.

The Jets are also guaranteed to either pick before the Broncos or the Raiders. Those two teams play each other on Sunday.

If both the Jets and Broncos win on Sunday, they’ll both be 7-9. The Broncos have a stronger strength-of-schedule. If the Raiders win, they’ll be 8-8, which is better than the Jets.

Only two teams will have a real impact on the Jets’ draft position on Sunday if they win, the Browns and the Falcons.

If they both win, the Jets’ will pick 11th. The 10th pick in the draft would go to the loser of the Broncos and Raiders game. The Jets would pick 12th if only one of them won.

The Jets’ worst-case scenario would be winning this game and both the Browns and the Falcons losing.

The Browns play the Bengals on Sunday, while the Falcons play the Buccaneers.

Joe Douglas, G.M. Joe T-Shirt

If the Jets’ Lose

For the Jets to snag their best possible draft pick, they would have to lose on Sunday. This isn’t likely to happen, but if the Bills backups upset the Jets, it would certainly help their draft position.

If the Jets lose on Sunday, their best-case scenario would be the sixth pick. Their worst-case scenario would be 10th overall. The Jets would be guaranteed a top-10 pick if they lost.

A loss would guarantee the Jets will pick in front of the Browns, Falcons, Broncos and Raiders.

They get to their worst-case scenario if they lose and the Cardinals, Panthers, Chargers and Jaguars all lose or tie.

The Jets would jump up a draft pick if any of those teams win. The Jets’ best-case scenario would be a loss with all four of the aforementioned teams coming away with a victory.

The Panthers will play the Saints. Jacksonville plays the Colts. The Cardinals head to Los Angeles to play the Rams. Kansas City will play host to the Chargers.

Got it? Good. Where will the New York Jets be slotted into the 2020 NFL Draft? Sunday’s results will officially let us all know.

A contributor here at elitesportsny.com. I'm a former graduate student at Loyola University Chicago here I earned my MA in History. I'm an avid Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers fan. I am also a prodigious prospect nerd and do in-depth statistical analysis.