Examining Jets’ return in blockbuster NFL trades
The duds of the regular season became the stars of the trade deadline Tuesday, as the Jets shipped cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts, sent Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys and acquired a haul of draft picks — as well as a pair of players who could contribute in the present.
The Jets have positioned themselves to have two first-round picks next year, two second-round picks next year and three first-round picks in the 2027 draft after the pair of blockbusters.
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In return for Gardner, the Jets received Indianapolis’ first-round picks in 2026 and ’27 in addition to wideout Adonai Mitchell, who was selected 13 picks before Gang Green added since-cut receiver Malachi Corley in 2024.
Mitchell, who caught 11 touchdowns during his final collegiate season at Texas, possesses plenty of talent but has struggled to settle into a rhythm with the Colts the last two seasons — catching just 32 passes for 464 yards and zero touchdowns over the last year-plus.
In the powerful Indianapolis offense in 2025, Mitchell hasn’t surpassed Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce or tight end Tyler Warren for targets from quarterback Daniel Jones.
But the Jets will likely have plenty of opportunities for him, with their receiving depth an issue throughout the season.
Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds were both injured entering the bye week, and while the Jets acquired John Metchie III from the Eagles in exchange for nickel cornerback Michael Carter II last week, Metchie — another dynamic wideout in college — has yet to prove himself as a consistent wideout in the NFL, too.
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Then, around an hour after the Gardner deal, general manager Darren Mougey then sent Williams to Dallas in exchange for a second-round pick in 2026 and the higher of the Cowboys’ two first-round picks — either the Dallas pick or the Packers’ pick from the Micah Parsons trade— in 2027.
They also acquired defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 24-year-old and former first-round pick in 2023 who has collected 57 total tackles, three sacks, seven tackles for loss and six quarterback hits across two-plus seasons.
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He has only played in five games this season and was a healthy scratch for the Cowboys’ loss to the Cardinals on Monday night.
But with one additional season — plus a team option for another season — left on Smith’s deal and three seasons left on Mitchell’s contract, both will likely get chances to carve out roles that stretch beyond this season while benefitting from a fresh start.
Williams and Gardner, both draft picks who had inked long-term extensions at different points, were seen as building blocks for the Mougey and Aaron Glenn era.
Instead, Mougey will be tasked with drafting the next Jets nucleus.
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