Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard chose to do the unusual because he knew the true value of the player. Instead of standing pat at the trade deadline, as Ballard usually does, the GM dealt two first-round picks to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. The move even shocked Indy fans.
The good part is that the gamble was a rather secure one. Gardner is under contract through 2030, so he is going to be a star for the Colts for the foreseeable future. He and fellow corners, Charvarius Ward and Kenny Moore II, make up one of the better cornerback trios in the NFL.
If fans needed any more proof that Gardner is not only one of the best corners in the league, but perhaps the best, Pro Football Focus has supplied the evidence. In a recent statistical ranking of lockdown CBs, Gardner is at the top of the list.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner might just be the best in the business
The metric is based on "how well a defender prevents a receiver from getting open." In other words, does a receiver create separation or does the defender still with the would-be receiver, causing any pass thrown their way to be difficult to complete.
According to PFF, Gardner has had 99 lockdown opportunities combined between the Jets and his one game with the Colts in 2025, and in only 26 of those reps has there been separation created. That makes Gardner's lockdown percentage 73.74 percent. The next closest player is the Seattle Seahawks' Riq Woolen at 65 percent.
The difference between Gardner and Woolen (8.74 percent) is the same difference between Woolen and the No. 14 Charvarius Ward. To be concise, Gardner isn't just barely the best lockdown cornerback in the NFL; he is well above all other secondary players.
While giving up multiple first-round draft selections is a lot for any player, the Jets' draft value isn't extremely high. Indianapolis should be a very good team in 2026, too, so New York won't be picking until late in the first round. Meanwhile, the Colts would be extremely unlikely to choose a player as good as Gardner with either of those picks.
The question now is whether the amount of Gardner's contract (with cap hits of $36.1 million in 2029 and 2030), coupled with a presumed extension for quarterback Daniel Jones, leaves little room for the Indianapolis Colts to build quality depth. At least, the salary cap should go up every year, diminishing Gardner's true cap hit percentage.