Barring a trade back into the first round, the Indianapolis Colts won’t be taking part in Thursday’s NFL Draft festivities. But that’s because they have cornerback Sauce Gardner on their roster.
When the Colts made their trade with the New York Jets, they did so with the idea that Gardner would lead their secondary for the foreseeable future. The cornerback is now ready to live up to the hype, via Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star.
“I’m the first-round pick — I’m the first-round pick two times,” Gardner said. “We’re gonna get our money. We’re gonna do our thing on defense, especially, but the whole team is gonna do our thing. There’s no pressure. We think about what we do have, and that’s me. If I’ve gotta be the first-round pick the next two years, then I’m gonna work regardless.”
“There’s already a lot on my plate, me being me, but it ain’t nothin’ I can’t handle, and I feel like we’ve got the guys to get where we wanna go, and bare minimum, that’s getting to the playoffs,” he continued. “I’m very confident in this team, in general, and the coaches and players and everything.”
The Colts gave up their first round picks in 2026 and 2027 to acquire Gardner. While that is valuable draft capital, Indianapolis believes the cornerback gives them their best long-term fix. They’ll need him at the top of his game after finishing the 2025 season ranked 31st in pass defense, allowing 247.9 yards per game.
Gardner’s first four games with the Colts resulted in 16 tackles and three passes defended. He’s expected to add onto those stats massively come 2026. While he likely won’t be playing with a 2026 first-round rookie, Gardner remains high on his franchise’s potential.
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