Jets Country

Jets' Sauce Gardner Trade Could Net New York's Next Star WR

The Jets could pair Garrett Wilson with a very talented wide receiver prospect...
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) warms-up on the field Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, ahead of the game against against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) warms-up on the field Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, ahead of the game against against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets have seemingly fully committed to a rebuild this year. They took a chance on Justin Fields, but it didn't pay off, and it resulted in a bad season. The Jets opted to swing a few trades at the trade deadline that seemingly suggested they were going to be much more aggressive with their rebuild than many expected.

The Jets traded Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for multiple first round picks, including one this offseason. That means the Gardner trade could begin paying the Jets back very soon.

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PFF's Trevor Sikkema recently put together a mock draft for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. With the No. 2 overall pick, Sikkema predicted the Jets would land Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. But with the Jets' second pick in the first round, one of the selections added in the Gardner trade, Sikkema predicted the Jets would land Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.

Jets linked to Jordyn Tyson with draft pick from Sauce Gardner trade

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyso
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates his touchdown run with teammate Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 7, 2024. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Some mock drafts have Tyson going as high as No. 5 overall, so to see him this low might be a surprise, but wide receiver draft ranges tend to be wider than we think, and Tyson does have a more extensive injury history," Sikkema wrote. "That being said, he is my top wide receiver based on his tape. Pairing him with Garrett Wilson would create a nasty duo (or trio if you throw in AD Mitchell)."

The Jets desperately need another wide receiver to play alongside Garrett Wilson. Since there's not a wide receiver worth the No. 2 overall pick, selecting Tyson at pick No. 16 would make a lot of sense.

Tyson is a very talented and developed wide receiver prospect, though he's struggled with injuries in the past. If Tyson had a clean injury history, there's a chance he's a top 10 or even top five pick in the upcoming draft. There's still a chance that a team takes a shot on him at the top of the first round, but if he's available to the Jets at pick No. 16,

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "New York Jets On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org