Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) looks on from the sidelines during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images With the 2026 NFL Draft weekend upon us, teams will introduce their latest rookie class to the league in hopes of having them become part of the next Super Bowl puzzle. The draft also means finalizing past trades that included future draft picks.
A big one was the November 2025 trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets to the Indianapolis Colts.Original terms of the Sauce Gardner tradeColts receive: Sauce GardnerJets receive: Adonai Mitchell, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pickWhat did the Jets do with the picks from the Sauce Gardner trade?The Colts were 7-2 when they traded for Gardner, so they thought they would be handing the Jets a pick late in the first round. However, the Colts lost their last seven games and finished the season 8-9, giving them the No. 16 overall pick.With that selection, the Jets selected Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
We will update. They obviously still have a 2027 NFL Draft pick to work with, as well. How was Adonai Mitchell’s performance for the Jets in 2025?Mitchell immediately stepped into the lineup for the Jets in 2025.
He started four games, playing in eight total for New York. He snagged 24 receptions for 301 yards ad two touchdowns in New Jersey. He is likely slottedinto a starting spot heading into 2026.How was Sauce Gardner’s performance for the Colts in 2025?Gardner was expected to be the player that would help the Colts contend for a Super Bowl appearance in 2025.
Instead, the Colts lost their final seven games of the season despite the addition of Gardner.Gardner was limited to four games with the Colts down the stretch due to injury.Who won the Sauce Gardner trade?While the Colts still haven’t seen the true benefits of adding Gardner, it’s hard not to look at the Jets as the winner of the trade. The Jets were able to add two first-round picks and a receiver with upside in Mitchell.The Jets have to hit on their picks, but they should have a good chance to do that, starting with Kenyon Sadiq this year and finishing it off in 2027 with another strong player.