HEADLINES

Sauce Gardner

Jets Take CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner At No. 4

April 28th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

“Sauce” is heading to New York. Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner has been selected by the Jets at No. 4.

Armed with a pair of first-round picks and a number of holes on their roster, it was uncertain what direction the Jets would go in at No. 4. Ultimately, they landed on one of the draft’s top cornerbacks, exactly one pick after the first player at that position went off the board.

Gardner is one of the draft’s top prospects, and for good reason. Standing at 6-foot-3, the cornerback ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, and after allowing only 6.6 yards per reception last season, he earned consensus All-American and conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 33 games with Cincinnati, the cornerback had nine interceptions.

Naturally, Sauce was connected to a number of teams throughout the pre-draft process. There was a prevailing sentiment that Sauce wouldn’t get past the Giants at No. 7. Instead, he didn’t get past the other New York squad at No. 4.

Gardner should be a day-one starter for the Jets thanks to his elite length and speed. Last year, the Jets were the third-worst team against the pass, allowing 259.4 yards per game and collecting just seven INTs. Some pundits believed that the Jets would select an offensive lineman to pair with 2021 first-round QB Zach Wilson. Instead, the Cincinnati cornerback was too good to pass up, and the Jets now have a mainstay in their secondary for years to come.

Giants Eyeing Sauce Gardner, Ikem Ekwonu?

April 28th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Giants are still open to trading out of one of their top-10 draft slots, plans on how the team will proceed if they stay at those spots might be emerging.

Connected to tackles at No. 5 throughout the pre-draft process, the Giants are believed to have cornerback Ahmad Gardner as their most universally approved prospect, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy tweets. The Giants were connected to “Sauce” back in March and hosted the Cincinnati cover man on a visit.

As for their tackle preference, Charles Cross was the blocker most closely connected to the team in the days leading up to the draft. But Dunleavy adds Ikem Ekwonu is believed to be the team’s highest-ranked tackle — ahead of Cross and Evan Neal, respectively. The NFL smokescreen window obviously remains open, but both Gardner and Ekwonu would make sense for the Giants.

Ekwonu, who has played guard as well, has been connected to the Jaguars with the No. 1 pick. But Jacksonville is still viewed as likelier to take a defensive lineman to start the draft. The Jags and Lions going D-line would open the door to the Jets (No. 4) and Giants having corners and top-tier tackles on the board. The Giants had sizable presences at Ekwonu, Cross and Neal’s pro days.

The Texans have been the top five’s least discussed team, possessing a bevy of needs. Houston has, however, been connected to corners in the days leading up to the draft. Derek Stingley Jr. should be considered the favorite to go third, Dunleavy adds (on Twitter). This is not the first Texans-Stingley connection to surface. Since Lovie Smith‘s comments about his team’s need at corner, the Texans have been tied to the LSU and Cincinnati standouts. Stingley going third would likely leave the Jets with their pick of Gardner, the draft’s top tackles and this class’ third- and fourth-best D-linemen — generally believed to be Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jermaine Johnson.

The Giants have a need at right tackle — where Ekwonu, Cross or Neal would presumably step in as a Day 1 starter — but also are preparing to move James Bradberry‘s $21MM cap number off their books. Big Blue’s top corner for the past two seasons, Bradberry has no ties to the current regime and is going into an expensive contract year. Gardner would be an immediate replacement on a much cheaper deal. The Jets, who have also been linked to Garnder, could spoil any Giants plans here. But the NFC’s New York franchise might be OK with multiple prospects at 5.

Texans Eyeing OT, CB At No. 3?

April 26th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Adam La Rose

While there is still plenty of debate regarding who will hear their name called first in this week’s draft, the Texans represent an interesting focal point with the third overall pick. Two of the top edge rushers are likely to be gone by the time they make that selection, but they will have a number of options, including at offensive tackle and cornerback. 

While general manager Nick Caserio has expressed a willingness to trade down from that slot, it is expected no team will move up into the top-five this year. That will leave them, in all likelihood, with the decision between Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu if they elect to pick their highest-rated offensive linemen. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that the team has been “connected to Neal dating back to the end of the college football season”, leading in part to the plethora of mock drafts linking the two.

On the other hand, the class’ top corners remain in consideration. It was reported last week that Ahmad Gardner could end up being the team’s preferred selection. Given their stated desire to invest more in the position, that wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. What could raise some eyebrows is the team’s apparent preference of Derek Stingley Jr. over Gardner as the top corner. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (on Twitter) that the Texans have done a significant amount of homework on the LSU alum; likewise, ESPN’s Todd McShay adds that Stingley is believed to be higher on Houston’s board than Gardner.

An edge rusher such as Kayvon Thibodeaux cannot be completely ruled out at No. 3, but a tackle or corner seems to be the more likely scenario at this point. In a year dominated by uncertainty, though, which prospect at those positions Houston will lean towards will remain to be seen until Thursday night.

Latest On Jets’ First-Round Plans

April 25th, 2022 at 5:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

An edge rusher-heavy 2022 class has seen Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker and Kayvon Thibodeaux overshadow Jermaine Johnson. But the Florida State defensive end is gaining steam to come off the board earlier than expected.

Johnson is tracking toward being a top-10 lock, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets, noting some view the 254-pound defender as this class’ top pass rusher. Johnson seems to have the Jets’ attention, and they could make the move with the first of their two top-10 picks.

GM Joe Douglas is a fan, according to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, who adds Johnson is a better bet to come off the board fourth overall than Kayvon Thibodeaux (Twitter link). Several around the league believe Johnson has the edge on Thibodeaux with the Jets, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler adds (via Twitter). The Jets had what is believed to be a good meeting with Thibodeaux recently, and the Oregon product appeared to be re-establishing some of the value he had lost during the pre-draft process. This latest round of reports, including one that pitted the coaches against the front office regarding Thibodeaux, would go against that.

Walker’s ex-teammate at Georgia, Johnson transferred to Florida State in 2021 and had his best season. Johnson registered 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss with the Seminoles. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Johnson ninth in this class; ESPN slots him 10th. Thibodeaux comes in ahead on both hierarchies, but attitude and effort concerns have dinged the former No. 1 overall prospect throughout the draft buildup.

If defensive end is not the direction Gang Green goes at No. 4, Ikem Ekwonu and Ahmad Gardner come into play. “Persistent buzz” points the Jets toward the North Carolina State offensive lineman, SI.com’s Albert Breer said during an appearance on The Score 1260 (Twitter link). The Jets think “extremely highly” of Ekwonu, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link). Ekwonu could slot at tackle or guard. For what it’s worth, no team has chosen a guard in the top four since the Cardinals took guard/tackle Leonard Davis second overall in 2001. Ekwonu would also serve as rather expensive, draft capital-wise, Mekhi Becton insurance.

Gardner-to-New York talk persists as well, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller tweets. Gardner was linked to the Jets weeks ago, but the Texans are a candidate to nab the Cincinnati prospect at 3. Houston doing that would seemingly put New York to an O-line-or-D-line decision. The Jets’ needs on the edge and at cornerback may outflank those on their O-line. They have drafted offensive linemen in the first round in each of the past two years, and the Jets’ defense ranked last in 2021. But the team using both of their top-1o picks on players who can help Zach Wilson, being linked closely to receivers at No. 10, would make sense as well.

Draft Rumors: Stingley, Jaguars, Alabama, Cine, Burks

April 22nd, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Ely Allen

According to Matt Miller of ESPN, Derek Stingley, Jr. is the hottest name in the 2022 NFL Draft right now. The LSU cornerback has long been considered one of the top-two cornerback prospects available, along with Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner. Miller claims that Stingley is trending as high as the top-three with the Lions or Texans rumored to be interested in him at No. 2 or 3 overall.

After a stellar freshman season, Stingley was easily viewed as the best cornerback that would be available by the 2022 Draft. But, after a subpar 2020 season and only appearing in three games last year, combined with another stellar season from Gardner, NFL teams have allowed a bit of room for Gardner to challenge as the best corner on the board. The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Gardner ranked as the third-best prospect overall with Stingley at 15th, while Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Gardner at fifth overall with Stingley at 14th. Miller, though, seems to think Stingley won’t make it past the Seahawks at 9th overall on Thursday night.

Here are a few more notes for the upcoming Draft, starting with some speculation down in Duval:

  • Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke let it be known on Friday that Jacksonville is considering four players for their number one overall draft pick this Thursday, according to Charean Williams of NBC Sports. Many mock drafts have them going with Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson or Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker, but they’ve also had their name attached to Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu. It’s hard to imagine any other names entering the conversation for Jacksonville’s top pick.
  • On their postseason run last year, college football powerhouse Alabama lost two of their top pass catchers in two of the biggest games of their season. John Metchie tore his ACL in the team’s SEC Championship victory over Georgia on December 4th. A little over a month later, Jameson Williams tore his ACL in the team’s National Championship game loss to Georgia on January 10th. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the two are progressing impressively in their recoveries, with that opinion being echoed by the NFL teams who have looked into their medical information. They may both be on track to play in the upcoming season, depending on how conservative of a team they end up with. The important thing, though, is that, while their stock may have been affected a bit by injury, they are both fully expected to hear their names called next week.
  • Georgie safety Lewis Cine visited with the Buccaneers this week, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Cine led the Bulldogs in tackles and passes broken up for the season last year en route to being named the defensive MVP of the team’s National Championship victory over Alabama. According to Laine, when asked if signing Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal precluded them from drafting a safety, Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht simply replied, “No.”
  • According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks added two more teams to his list of visits earlier this week. Burks met with the Bears and Cardinals as he continues to trend in the first round. Read more about Burks in his NFL Draft Prospect Profile here.

Jets, Giants Eyeing CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner

March 31st, 2022 at 6:21pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like the two New York teams could be eyeing the best cornerback in the draft. According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, both the Giants and Jets have “strong interest” in Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Both organizations will host the cornerback on a top-30 pre-draft visit.

The Giants and Jets were present for Gardner’s Pro Day last week, with the Giants going as far as to take the cornerback out for dinner. The two organizations also met with the player at the NFL scouting combine earlier this month. Of course, the Jets and Giants aren’t the only teams to show interest in Sauce; per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, the Eagles, Lions, and Seahawks will also host the player on a top-30 visit.

Gardner is one of the draft’s top prospects, and for good reason. Standing at 6-foot-3, the cornerback ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, and after allowing only 6.6 yards per reception last season, he earned consensus All-American and conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 33 games with Cincinnati, the cornerback had nine interceptions.

As Vacchiano notes, many believe Sauce won’t get past the Giants at No. 7. That means there’s little chance that he falls to the Jets at No. 10, so the team may need to use pick No. 4 if they hope to roster the best cornerback in the draft.

Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner To Enter Draft

January 5th, 2022 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top draft-eligible cornerbacks will indeed make himself available for teams in April. Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner intends to forgo his senior season and enter the draft (Instagram link).

Essential to the Bearcats’ trailblazing a Group of Five path into the College Football Playoff, Gardner sits as a top-15 draft prospect in the view of ESPN.com’s Todd McShay. The 6-foot-2 cover man exited his junior season as this draft’s No. 2 corner prospect, behind only LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr.

Gardner claimed the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award, en route to All-American acclaim. He recorded three interceptions and three sacks in his third season with the Bearcats. Gardner, who intercepted three passes in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, did not allow more than 60 receiving yards in while in coverage in any game during his final two Cincy slates. He did not allow a touchdown as a junior.

Although Cincinnati could not keep pace with Alabama in the CFP semifinals, the program became the first Group of Five team to advance to college football’s final four. Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder could join Gardner in the first round. McShay has Ridder going in the top 20 in his initial 2022 mock draft. Either player landing in Round 1 would be significant for Cincinnati. While the school has sent the likes of Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce and Derek Wolfe to the pros, it has not seen one of its cogs chosen in the first round since defensive lineman Bob Bell in 1971.