The New York Jets look a lot different than they did going into Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
That’s what happens when an organization ships off its two best defensive players for a considerable amount of draft capital.
With All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams traded on Tuesday — and slot cornerback Michael Carter II dealt a few days prior — the Jets’ defense has undergone a major revamp.
The price for those players wasn’t cheap, though. New York received several high draft picks and a handful of former high-profile prospects as part of the deals.
It’s time to round up the results of the Jets’ pre-deadline trades.
Jets trade deadline review
The Jets made four trades over the last seven days, including three on Tuesday’s deadline day. Below is a full breakdown of the assets New York traded away and received.
Traded away:
- CB Sauce Gardner
- DT Quinnen Williams
- CB Michael Carter II
- 2027 seventh-round pick
- 2028 seventh-round pick (conditional)
Acquired:
- CB Ja’Sir Taylor
- WR John Metchie III
- DT Mazi Smith
- WR Adonai Mitchell
- 2026 first-round pick (via Indianapolis)
- 2026 second-round pick (via Dallas)
- 2027 first-round pick (via Indianapolis)
- 2027 first-round pick (the better of Dallas and Green Bay)
- 2027 sixth-round pick (via Philadelphia)
To summarize, the Jets traded away two All-Pro players, a starting slot cornerback, and two seventh-round picks for three first-round picks, a second-round pick, a sixth-round selection, and four players.
What happens now?
The capital received from these trades should give the Jets tremendous flexibility to find a future franchise quarterback — whether in the 2026 or 2027 draft.
The moves also put the Jets at $94.4 million in projected cap space for the 2026 offseason, per Over The Cap.
Tuesday’s trades provided the organization with ample ammunition to rebuild the roster in the image of its current regime. At 1-7, New York’s hopes this season are all but gone. The team’s focus now turns to the future — and the resources at its disposal moving forward.
