The Indianapolis Coltspaid a significant price to acquire Sauce Gardner last season, and an early 2027 NFL mock draft provides a look at what one of those outgoing picks could become.
FOX Sports’ Rob Rang projected the New York Jets to use the Colts’ 2027 first-round selection at No. 12 overall on Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles.
"It would be fascinating if the Jets use the selection gained in the Sauce Gardner trade on a cornerback, but replacing defensive lineman Quinnen Williams on the inside should be an even higher priority," Rang wrote.
Echoles is an athletic interior defender whose quickness stood out in Rang’s evaluation. The FOX Sports analyst described him as “cat-quick” and highlighted the high motor that could appeal to Jets
head coach Aaron Glenn.
Indianapolis sent its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to New York for Gardner at the 2025 trade deadline. Gardner had earned two first-team All-Pro selections before arriving in Indianapolis.
The No. 12 slot should be viewed as an early projection rather than an expectation for where Indianapolis will finish. Rang constructed the draft order using the inverse of current Super Bowl odds and noted that the order could change by a fair amount during the season.
Nonetheless, the mock provides an early illustration of the draft capital Indianapolis surrendered to add Gardner.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts 2027 draft pick sent to Jets lands New Yrok top DT prospect in mock
