Colts Trade for Sauce Gardner, Betting on Contention

0:00On April 23rd, the Indianapolis Colts are chilling on the sidelines for Thursday's NFL draft first round, all because they locked down cornerback. Sas Gardner and a big trade with the New York Jets. They shipped out their first round picks for 2026 and 2027 to bring him in as the cornerstone of their secondary. That move was all about fixing their defense long term, especially after ranking 31st in past defense last season, giving up 200. 37.9 yards per game through the air. Sas fired up about it, saying he's got a full plate, but ready to handle it with his squad. He sees the playoffs as the bare minimum and has mad confidence in the coaches, players, and whole vibe. In his first four games with Indy, he racked up 16 tackles and three passes defended, and he's primed to blow those numbers up in 2026. With Gardner anchoring things, the culture betting big on contention without needing a rookie splash right now, setting up for a real turnaround.