With the fourth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner.
If you like your draft prospects to be dominant at the college level, then Gardner is the pick for you. The man they call "Sauce" had more pick-sixes (two) than touchdowns allowed (zero!) in his three seasons with the Bearcats.
The Detroit-area native was the definition of a shutdown corner last season, reportedly surrendering only a paltry 131 receiving yards to opposing wide receivers.
Here's all you need to know about Gardner:
Measurables: 6'3"/200
School: Cincinnati
2021 stats: 13 games, 40 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 4 passes defensed
Accolades: 2021 Consensus All-American; 2021 Unanimous AAC Defensive Player of the Year; 2021 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist; 2020 FWAA First-team All-American; 2020 USA Today First-team All-American; 2020 AP Second-team All-American; 2020 First-team All-AAC; 2019 FWAA Freshman All-America Team; 2019 First-team All-AAC
Strengths:
- Ideal height and length
- Demonstrated history of being a "shutdown" corner
- Plays the ball rather than his man
- Strong hands make him effective in press coverage
- Good play recognition
- Uses plus instincts and anticipation to beat receivers and ballcarriers to the spot
- Disruptive as occasional blitzer
Weaknesses:
- Lean frame with narrow hips and thin legs
- More finesse than physical
- Can get manhandled when blockers latch on
- Physical, handsy style of play led to frequent penalties as freshman, sophomore
- Ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at Combine, but game speed looks a tick slower
Player comparison: Gardner profiles similarly to Richard Sherman, a cocky, lanky and physical cornerback.
What experts are saying:
"Gardner has the traits and demeanor to become a highly effective CB1 within his first couple of seasons." -- Greg Zierlein, NFL.com
"Savvy, cocksure and lean-framed corner with outstanding length and history of shutting down most opponents he's faced." -- Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports
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