Back in November, the headline out of the Jets-Colts deal was the two first-round picks New York got for sending Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis. Adonai Mitchell was the throw-in, a second-year receiver with 32 catches to his name who barely registered as a talking point. Nine months later, he might be the best thing the Jets got out of that trade not named a draft pick.
That's ESPN's Rich Cimini, relayed via SleeperNFL, laying out exactly how far Mitchell's stock has climbed. "We all thought he was a throw-in to the Sauce Gardner trade," Cimini said, before running down why that's no longer the read: Mitchell's size at 6'2", his vertical speed, and a camp that's had the Jets thinking they landed a steal from Indy. Pairing him with Garrett Wilson gives Geno Smith two very different weapons to work with on the outside.
Mitchell was a second-round pick out of Texas back in 2024, drafted by the Colts on the strength of his size-speed profile even though his college production never quite matched the traits. Indianapolis never fully unlocked him — 25 games, 8 starts, 464 yards over two seasons — which is exactly why he was expendable in a trade built around acquiring an All-Pro corner. The Jets clearly saw more, and if camp buzz is holding up, they were right to bet on it.
The Mitchell news isn't happening in a vacuum, either. Draft analyst Hayden Winks flagged a second training-camp battle brewing behind him, with Isaiah Williams reportedly gaining ground on Omar Cooper for the Jets' WR3 job, and tight end Mason Taylor playing well enough to threaten Kenyon Sadiq's role at the position.
More Isaiah Williams over Omar Cooper chatter here for the Jets WR3 job. Also noting Mason Taylor is playing good ball and could get in the way of Kenyon Sadiq. Good problem for Jets to have. Bad for fantasy.
Winks called it "a good problem for Jets to have" and "bad for fantasy" — which is the right way to read it. A crowded, competent receiving corps is exactly what a rebuilding roster wants heading into a season, even if it muddies who gets targets on a given Sunday.
None of it changes the shape of the trade — Gardner is still an All-Pro corner playing for Indianapolis, and the picks won't pay off for years. But if Mitchell locks down WR2 behind Wilson, New York walks away from that deal with a legitimate starter to go with the draft capital, and the "throw-in" label gets buried for good.