Jets' NFL Draft Picks, Depth Chart, Salary Cap After Sauce Gardner, Williams Trades

The New York Jets pulled off the most shocking deal so far ahead of Tuesday afternoon's trade deadline, officially sending star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round draft picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell.

The Jets weren't done there, as Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that they are trading defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted that the New York is receiving the higher of Dallas' first-round pick and the first-round pick it acquired from the Green Bay Packers in the Micah Parsons trade.

Following the deal, the Jets now have two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fourth-round pick, a fifth-round pick, two sixth-round picks from the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, respectively, and three seventh-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, per Spotrac. The team will also have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL draft.

New York's wide receiver, cornerback and defensive tackle depth charts now look like this:

• WR: Garrett Wilson, John Metchie III
• WR: Tyler Johnson, Isaiah Williams
• WR: Allen Lazard, Arian Smith, AD Mitchell
• CB: Brandon Stephens, Qwan'tez Stiggers
• CB: Azareye'h Thomas, Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
• DT: Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs
• DT: Jay Tufele, Mazi Smith

By trading Gardner, the Jets are getting his four-year, $120 million contract extension off the books from a salary cap that now sits at $208.8 million, per Spotrac, giving them $117.5 million in cap space. Williams' $46.1 million remaining on his contract is also coming off the books. The team is reportedly incurring a reasonable amount of dead money over the next two years:

Spotrac's Michael Ginnitti also revealed New York's projected cap savings:

The Jets selected Gardner with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and he quickly established himself as a franchise cornerstone. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he became the first cornerback ever to be named first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons.

Gardner's production slipped slightly last year, though he had bounced back with solid performances this season. He suffered a concussion and was ruled out for New York's Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, which marked the team's first win of the season after starting out with a 0-7 record under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. Per ESPN, Glenn said Gardner was completing concussion protocol and was expected to return to practice this week.

Williams was selected by the Jets with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft and went on to become a three-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro selection. He's played in all eight games for New York and recorded 32 total tackles, one sack and three forced fumbles.

Trading Gardner and Williams signifies that the Jets are turning the page toward building for the future rather than salvaging the 2025 season. New York had other popular trade candidates like running back Breece Hall, defensive end Jermaine Johnson and linebacker Quincy Williams, but it held onto them past the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.

The Jets are set to return from their bye week on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.