Sauce Gardner gave Jets one last parting gift after Colts' collapse

The New York Jets raised eyebrows when they traded away arguably the best cornerback in the NFL in Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for a package of two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. That was a monumental decision by Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey, and the move is aging better for this team every week.

This trade was thought to be a win-now decision that would vault Indy to the Super Bowl contender tier. However, with quarterback Daniel Jones having suffered an Achilles tear, the Colts went on a seven-game losing streak that saw them get eliminated from the postseason.

Per ESPN Research, the 2025 Colts became the first team in the Super Bowl era to be six games over .500 at one point during the season and end up with a losing record. The Colts' first-rounder, which was No. 32 overall when the Jets made this decision, is now at No. 15 overall.

If the Lions and Ravens win in Week 18, the Colts' pick will stay at No. 15 overall. The lowest it can drop is No. 17 overall. Having that asset go from No. 32 when the Jets made that trade to the middle of the first round is an incredible piece of luck for New York.

Sauce Gardner trade grants Jets extra top 20 pick in 2026 NFL Draft

Gardner has had some extremely bad luck since joining Indianapolis, as the durable All-Pro in New York immediately suffered a calf injury. In tandem with Jones' Achilles tear, the Colts went from a Super Bowl contender to a team so desperate for a quarterback that they signed 44-year-old high school coach Philip Rivers out of retirement.

To make matters even better for the Jets, Mitchell has flashed enough highlights to get fans very excited about his potential once they improve the quarterback position. Mitchell went from an afterthought in Indy to someone who could go into next season as the WR3 while pushing for WR2 snaps.

This draft is very deep at both edge rusher and inside linebacker, two positions the Jets need reinforcements at in the worst way. Moving up to No. 15 leapfrogs multiple teams that could need some additional help at these positions.

Things are grim for the Jets in 2025, but with the ammo from the Gardner trade, Glenn will have a golden opportunity to build a team in his image that can win some games.