Sauce Gardner went from last place to first and teammate Quinnen Williams also is on the move in separate blockbuster trades.
The stunning deals by the New York Jets highlighted a flurry of activity ahead of the NFL's trade deadline on Tuesday.
Gardner, a two-time All-Pro cornerback, was sent to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. The Jets will receive the Colts’ first-round selection in 2026 and in 2027.
Williams heads to the Dallas Cowboys for a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round pick in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
The Jets will get the better of the Dallas' two firsts in 2027. They acquired a pair of first-rounders when they sent two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay before the season.
“Having the opportunity to acquire a talented player like Sauce Gardner was one we did not want to pass on,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “He was a player that we scouted heavily coming out of college and there’s a reason he was the fourth overall pick. Sauce is a proven cornerback. His skill and competitive nature will elevate everyone’s play on the defensive unit. We’re thrilled he’s a Colt. On the same note, AD Mitchell is a great person and a great player. We believe he will have success in New York, and we wish him the best as he enters the next chapter of his career.”
The Cowboys (3-5-1) have the second-worst defense in the NFL and made two moves to bolster that unit. Before getting Williams, the Cowboys acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick.
The Jets are loaded with draft picks after dealing their two best defensive players and need to choose wisely to rebuild a franchise that has the longest active playoff drought in the NFL. They weren't finished making moves, however.
Cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor was acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2028 just before the deadline at 4 p.m. EST. Taylor was a sixth-round pick of the Chargers in 2022 out of Wake Forest.
In other moves, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was traded to Jacksonville from Las Vegas for draft picks in the fourth and sixth rounds.
The Seattle Seahawks got wideout Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints for picks in the fourth and fifth rounds.
Edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was traded from Cleveland to Chicago for a seventh-round pick.
The Chargers got offensive lineman Trevor Penning from the Saints for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Gardner, the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Jets in July. He joins the AFC South-leading Colts (7-2) after spending his first 3 1/2 seasons with the losing Jets.
Williams, a three-time Pro Bowl pick and 2022 All-Pro, is signed through 2027 on a contract averaging $24 million per season.
Shaheed goes from the 1-8 Saints to the 6-2 Seahawks, giving Sam Darnold another option along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Meyers, who requested a trade, gives the Jaguars (5-3) depth. Travis Hunter will miss at least three more games and Brian Thomas Jr,. Dyami Brown and Tim Patrick are dealing with injuries.
Wilson had requested a trade after his playing time decreased for the Bengals, who have the league's worst defense.
“Some guys have the ability to see a certain key and, at the same time, take a step up in the hole," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan. "He knows how to get in the gaps right now. ... For what we need right now, he can come in immediately and help us at linebacker.”
The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were aggressive leading up to the deadline. General manager Howie Roseman added three players to a talented roster to improve the team's chances for a repeat.
Since the Eagles (6-2) last played a game, they acquired edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and cornerbacks Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander.
Phillips, who came from Miami on Monday for a third-round pick, immediately bolsters the pass rush. The 2021 first-round pick had three sacks in his last five games for the Dolphins. All of Philadelphia’s edge rushers combined have three sacks this season.
"For us, where we are as a team, what we believe is important to win a world championship and to being a great team, it wasn’t a hard trade to make,” Roseman said.
Carter gives the defense a veteran slot cornerback to allow defensive coordinator Vic Fangio more flexibility to use Cooper DeJean outside. Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.
The Baltimore Ravens also added an edge rusher, getting Dre’Mont Jones from Tennessee for a conditional fifth-round pick. Jones has 4 1/2 sacks this season so he’s an upgrade for the Ravens (3-5) at a position of need.
Several trades went down last month. The Bengals acquired Joe Flacco. The Rams got cornerback Roger McCreary. Defensive end Keion White went to the 49ers. Safety Kyle Dugger was traded to the Steelers. The Jaguars and Browns swapped cornerbacks Greg Newsome II and Tyson Campbell.
The Chargers added edge Odafe Oweh in a deal that sent safety Alohi Gilman to the Ravens.
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AP Pro Football Writers Dennis Waszak, Mark Long, Teresa M. Walker and Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.
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