The New York Jets' astonishing NFL Draft haul after two stunning deadline trades, which saw the franchise part ways with both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for a bevy of draft picks
17:17 ET, 04 Nov 2025Updated 17:20 ET, 04 Nov 2025
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn reacts during the game against the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 26, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH
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The New York Jets received a haul at the conclusion of the NFL trade deadline(Image: Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The New York Jets will be heading to future NFL Drafts in top form following the organization's decisions to part ways with some of its stars, headlined by Sauce Gardner's departure.
Sitting at 1-7, just one game better than the Tennessee Titans, the Jets opted to deal away two stars in hopes of rebuilding a new core after another lost season. The decision to do so came after the organization had hoped to regain its fortunes following the end of the Aaron Rodgers saga.
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Instead, the Jets stumbled and now find themselves playing for next season, rather than making noise this year. Along with trading Gardner, New York also dealt star Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys, with Jerry Jones' outfit seeking a spark for the rest of the 2025 campaign.
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In one of the first blockbusters of the trade deadline, the Jets traded Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in a move that stunned the NFL world. For the 25-year-old star, the Jets received wideout Adonai Mitchell, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick.
For the Jets' second blockbuster of the day, New York traded Williams to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, with defensive tackle Mazi Smith also heading to the East Coast. The move comes after Jones teased that he would be active during the trade deadline.
In all, the Jets brought in four draft picks and two players in exchange for Gardner and Williams. As for how it will look come the NFL Draft, New York will have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2026 and three first-round picks in 2027.
Sauce Gardner #1 of the New York Jets looks on prior to an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida
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Sauce Gardner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round picks(Image: Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
For the Jets, moving Gardner and Williams to teams looking for help, perhaps, was the best thing the franchise could do considering the state it's in. Of note, SNY's Connor Hughes reported that Williams requested to be traded three separate times before he ultimately was moved to Dallas.
"He let the Jets know that he had zero plans to extend him," Hughes reported after the deal was confirmed. "Again, his contract is out of guaranteed money after this year, just like $4.95 million left in guaranteed money after this year. Quinnen Williams had stressed to the Jets time and time and time again that he wanted to rework his deal, wanted to rework the deal.
"The Jets rebuffed that. The losing, a deterioration of a relationship with Aaron Glenn, got Quinen Williams to the point where he said, I want to be gone.'"
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Hughes added: "Now, the Jets denied this when I asked them that, but I had heard from a source very close to Quinnen Williams that he actually met with members of the Jets brass, [general manager] Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, and said he wanted to go out.
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"The meeting did not go particularly well, and Quinnen wasn't sure he was actually going to get traded. Now, they have obviously reached an agreement here with the Dallas Cowboys."
In the end, it appears as if the Jets are embracing the rebuild, in hopes that the added draft capital can help them land another franchise cornerstone.
That said, stars Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall were not traded at the deadline, which begs the question of what the Jets could be planning to do with the two after New York signaled it was rebuilding.