Jets already being called a No. 1 pick contender thanks to Sauce Gardner trade

It's been an exciting week for New York Jets fans. Their Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans has lit a spark in the fanbase that hasn't been seen in quite some time, and even though it's only one win, there's legitimate reason this could be a fun, competitive season for the Jets.

But if we can zoom out here for just a minute and take stock of the long-term outlook of the team, the Jets are in a better place for future success than in their entire history as a franchise. Not only do they already have an awesome blend of young and veteran talent, but they have the most resources of any team in the league going into the 2027 offseason.

Thanks to last trade deadline's blockbuster trades that saw the team ship out former All-Pros Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, the Jets are going to be working with three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, and it's expected to be a special class, particularly at quarterback.

The Jets are desperately hoping they won't eventually end this season with the No. 1 overall pick. If they did, heads are likely to roll in Florham Park. But is there a chance one of those 2025 trades could end up landing New York the honors of the first choice in the 2027 NFL Draft?

New York Jets tabbed as No. 1 overall pick contender thanks to Indianapolis Colts

Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo listed five teams that are the strongest contenders for the No. 1 overall pick in next April's draft, and the Jets were listed thanks to the fact that they own the rights to the Indianapolis Colts' first-round draft pick.

"Week 1 went perfectly. The Jets beat up on the Tennessee Titans, and both the Colts and Cowboys lost. Indianapolis looked especially bad, losing 41-23 to the Baltimore Ravens. It's a critical campaign for the trio of Chris Ballard, Shane Steichen, and Daniel Jones. The Colts may seriously regret parting with this first-round pick."

As Melo highlights, the first week of the NFL season couldn't have gone much better for the Jets. Not only did both the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers lose their openers, but the Colts did look pretty dreadful against the Baltimore Ravens.

Their defense gave up 31 points in the first half, and the game was practically over by then. It seems like trading for Gardner didn't fix all the woes they hoped it would when they coughed up two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell last fall.

Regardless of where Indianapolis' draft pick ends up, the Gardner trade may end up going down in Jets history as a turning point in the franchise. Not only has it already landed them exciting rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq and up-and-coming WR2 in Mitchell, but it may just yet get them a franchise quarterback.

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