FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets entered the NFL draft with plenty of roster holes and a culture under construction.
They're confident they at least chipped away in a big way at both over the weekend.
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New York Jets first round draft pick, No. 30 overall, Omar Cooper Jr. speaks during an introductory press conference at the NFL team's training facility, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Jets first round draft pick, No. 2 overall, David Bailey speaks during an introductory press conference at the NFL team's training facility, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey puts on a hat after being chosen by the New York Jets with the second overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
New York Jets fans cheer during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey was the second overall pick, giving the pass rush an immediate boost. The Jets took Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq 16th overall and then traded back into the first round to select Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30 — both playmakers for the offense.
They grabbed Cooper's former Hoosiers teammate, cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, in the second round.
The Jets' first four picks have something in common: They all played in the College Football Playoff last season, including Cooper and Ponds winning a national championship with Indiana. And that was no small coincidence, not for a franchise coming off a 3-14 season and mired in the NFL's longest active postseason drought at 15 years.
“Usually when you come from a winning program, you really know how it looks,” coach Aaron Glenn said. "And when you join another program, you bring that same mentality to that program to help that program elevate to where it is. Any time you can do that with a number of players, it just only elevates your team.
“And they’re going to practice and they’re going to go through meetings, they’re going to go through walkthroughs like winners do, and that permeates throughout your whole team.”
Glenn insisted the Jets didn't pass on any players who were on losing college programs. But their board just happened to be topped by winners.
“Which is a plus for us,” Glenn said.
Sadiq was hesitant when he answered his phone Thursday night and was told the Jets were drafting him.
“I’m excited, Coach,” the speedy tight end told Glenn during the call, video of which was taken by the team and posted on social media. “I was thinking this might be a prank call for a second.”
He didn't want to be this year's version of Shedeur Sanders, who was pranked last year during his slide to the fifth round.
“That’s just like my biggest fear,” Sadiq said Saturday at the Jets' facility. “If you look at like Shedeur and all that stuff that happened with him, it’s just a moment full of so many emotions. It would kind of be not a fun way to get a prank call and stuff like that. But no, obviously, the call and everything was amazing.”
The Jets traded for Geno Smith in the offseason to be their starter this season. There's speculation they'll aim for their quarterback of the future in next year's signal caller-heavy draft.
But that didn't prevent New York from taking a chance on a developmental QB this year, drafting Clemson's Cade Klubnik in the fourth round. The Jets even traded up 18 spots to get him, sending two fourth-rounders to Cincinnati for the 110th selection — where they took Klubnik — and a sixth-rounder.
Klubnik is coming off a disappointing season during which Clemson went 7-6 for its worst record since 2010. He had a down year statistically, leading many prognosticators to predict Klubnik to be picked much later. But he was the fifth quarterback drafted, following Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck and Drew Allar.
“Felt really good about Cade,” general manager Darren Mougey said. “A young player that has a lot of experience. ... Unfortunately, he had a down year this year, but still young, athletic with some upside.”
Klubnik said he had “multiple meetings” with the Jets during the draft process and woke up Saturday morning hoping New York would pick him. And when he was taken, he told offensive coordinator Frank Reich to immediately send him the playbook.
“I’m all about pushing the guys around me and I’m a winner and I’m a competitor, and I hate to lose,” he said. "So, if we’re not winning, we’re going to find a way to win."
The Jets further boosted their defensive line by taking Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. in the fourth round, seven picks before they drafted Klubnik.
Jackson is the nephew of former NFL safety Dexter Jackson, the 2003 Super Bowl MVP for Tampa Bay. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound former Seminoles star will beef up a Jets D-line that added veterans T'Vondre Sweat, David Onyemata, Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare in free agency.
New York added depth on the offensive line in the sixth round, moving up 11 spots to take Miami guard Anez Cooper. The Jets went with Kansas State defensive back VJ Payne with their final pick in the seventh round.
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New York Jets first round draft pick, No. 30 overall, Omar Cooper Jr. speaks during an introductory press conference at the NFL team's training facility, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Jets first round draft pick, No. 2 overall, David Bailey speaks during an introductory press conference at the NFL team's training facility, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey puts on a hat after being chosen by the New York Jets with the second overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
New York Jets fans cheer during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was uninjured and other top White House officials were evacuated from an annual dinner of the White House correspondents association on Saturday night after an unspecified threat. There did not immediately appear to be any injuries, and one law enforcement official said a shooter had opened fire.
Authorities said the incident occurred outside the ballroom where Trump and other guests were seated. It was not immediately clear what happened. The event was scrapped and will be rescheduled.
The FBI said the shooter is in custody and that its Washington field office is responding to the shooting.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he would give a statement at the White House tonight.
Compiling accurate and thorough information on a shooting takes time. Reporters are working to piece together the details from eyewitness accounts, authorities and other sources.
Here's the Latest:
Interim Washington, D.C., police chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives. He said investigators had no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved.
Shortly after the president concluded his news conference, the White House called a “lid,” which means the press corps will not see him for the rest of the day.
Trump struck a somber tone as he addressed reporters at the White House, saying being president is “a dangerous profession” and that attempted violence against him is “part of the job.”
Trump said more details would be forthcoming about the shooter’s identity and motive, but said that the world was a violent place and, when it came to his own presidency, “When you’re impactful they go after you.”
The president commended the Secret Service and suggested that the shooter wasn’t close to breaching the ballroom where Trump was seated on stage at the time of the incident.
With most of the reporters dressed up for the dinner that was interrupted, Trump also noted: “I see so many tuxedos and beautiful dresses.”
The president, who had repeatedly said he wanted to continue the dinner until law enforcement said otherwise, insisted it would be rescheduled and would happen. He stressed that the event will be “better” and “we’ll make it safer.”
“I see so many tuxedos and beautiful dresses,” Trump said. “It was a little different evening than we thought. But we’re going to do it again.”
As he described the sequence of events, Trump emphasized that the shooter still remained a far distance from the ballroom where thousands of people had gathered for the dinner.
“He hadn’t anywhere close to breached the doors of the ballroom,” the president said.
The USSS has for years used the annual event to put agents through their paces because the agency has studied the venue has been extensively for decades.
The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the AP.
Trump, describing what was going through his mind as the shots rang out, said he initially believed it was a tray being dropped, noting that the noise was “quite far away.” But the first lady, he said, was “very cognizant” that it was a shooting.
“I think she knew immediately what happened,” the president said, recalling that his wife told him, “That’s a bad noise.”
The president said the motivation of the shooter was unclear, but said that “he was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down.”
The president also reiterated that he had wanted to continue the dinner, saying, “I fought like hell to stay.”
He said in an earlier social media post that law enforcement officials wanted the dinner to end.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges will be filed shortly and that the nature of the charges would be obvious considering what had happened at the dinner. Blanche stressed that “the investigation is obviously ongoing and just started.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene, as well as interviewing witnesses from the dinner. He urged anyone with information to come forward.
As he began the news conference, Trump called for tougher security measures, saying that “today, we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before.”
He cited Saturday’s incident as a reason his ballroom, being constructed at the White House, is needed.
Trump, during a White House press briefing, said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons before being stopped by the Secret Service. One officer was shot, but he was protected by a bulletproof vest.
“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump said.
Security footage posted by Trump shows a man sprinting through the metal detectors and past law enforcement, who turn toward him with guns raised. Officers then swarm toward the man off-screen.
Correspondents, as well as Trump, have arrived at the White House briefing room for a news conference following a shooting incident at the annual correspondents' dinner.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and his wife, Kelly, were at the event and grateful for the law enforcement and first responders “who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control.”
“Praying for our country tonight,” said Johnson, R-La., on social media.
“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT,” said the House GOP on its account on the social platform X.
“House Republicans unite in praying for those who were in harm’s way,” it said.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “thankful for the swift law enforcement action to protect everyone” at the dinner, as he also called for an end to violence.
“The violence and chaos in America must end,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y.
Weijia Jiang, the senior White House correspondent at CBS News and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, addressed the crowded room of journalists after the president had left.
She said the president would be holding a press briefing at the White House soon and that he insisted the dinner be rescheduled within the next 30 days. Jiang also said the president had wanted to continue with the event but had to follow security protocols.
Jiang, who had been sitting on the dais next to Trump when the incident unfolded, also emphasized the public service nature of journalism, saying that “when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it.”
“On a night when we are thinking about the freedoms in the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are,” she said. “Thank God everybody is safe and thank you for coming together tonight. We’ll do this again.”
The FBI said the shooter is in custody and that its Washington field office is responding to the shooting.
The city’s Metropolitan Police Department posted a social message that said its officers are at the scene and coordinating with federal law enforcement.
“We will provide updated information once confirmed,” the message said.
Attendees were eating a spring pea and burrata salad, and waiters had begun preparing to bring out the next course when a security detail appeared on the ballroom floor and yelled for everyone to get down. Journalists in gowns and tuxedos ducked near tables as wine splattered onto white tablecloths and glasses clinked in the hurry to seek safety.
Armed security burst through the doors of the ballroom and raced toward the dais where Trump sat as attendees ducked or crouched under tables. At one point, someone in the room shouted, “USA!”
Trump said that a “shooter has been apprehended” in a post to Truth Social about 30 minutes following a security incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner.
Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were uninjured in the incident.
Dinner organizers said there will be an “announcement shortly, we will be resuming shortly” from the stage. Most attendees are closed inside the ballroom and can’t leave.
A block from the White House, party-goers headed to the Renwick Museum were instead gathered at police tape as the streets and sidewalks were blocked off. Police cars tore up and down the block, sirens blaring. A helicopter buzzed overhead.
Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the White House Correspondents Dinner. It has typically been focused on the ballroom — rather than the hotel at large — with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.
In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.
The banquet hall, where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were awaiting Trump’s speech, was immediately evacuated. Members of the National Guard took up position inside the building as people were allowed to leave but not reenter. Security outside was also extremely tight.
It was not immediately clear what happened. A law enforcement official confirmed there was a shooter but no further details were immediately available.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro posted a short video from the hotel after the incident, saying, “I have been taken out of the ballroom after the sound of the shots fired. The Secret Service is now in charge of this building, this hotel. I just spoke to Mayor Muriel Bowser. She is on her way, and (Police) Chief Jeffery Carroll is on his way. He will be in charge as soon as he gets here.”
An ambulance responds to an incident at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Secret service agents respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
First lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump attend the annual White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, March 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Law enforcement are seen outside the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
