Ahmad Gardner to New York Graded With Flying Colors

Various outlets all agree that Sauce to the jets is a home-run pairing.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Apr 29, 2022 9:42 AM EDT

CINCINNATI — The grades are in for the New York Jets historic selection of Ahmad Gardner at No. 4 in the 2022 NFL Draft. Check out how various major outlets view the pick.

The Athletic - B+

"Gardner has size, speed, competitiveness and production," Sheil Kapadia wrote. "He has a chance to emerge as one of the best players from this draft class. This is a fine selection by the Jets and fills a major need at a premium position."

Yahoo! - A

"The Jets get a DB who doesn’t allow touchdowns," Barry Werner wrote. "That’s a trait not many — if any — players in the Jets’ secondary have possessed since Darrelle Revis in his prime. Jamal Adams wasn’t around Gang Green long enough to earn that stamp. Three picks per year, including two pick-sixes in 2019."

Sporting News - A

"Gardner is the best corner in the draft and the Jets didn’t want to take a chance on him still being there at No. 10, given the crosstown Giants had heavy interest behind them," Vinnie Iyer wrote. "He can be a Richard Sherman-type alpha in coach Robert Saleh’s defense, forming a new dynamic duo with former Seahawk D.J. Reed. It’s mildly surprising that the Jets didn’t land Kayvon Thibodeaux for the edge here, but Joe Douglas can tap into a strong class at that position later, believing Gardner stands out in a great group at his position."

CBS Sports - B+

"If you are to win the AFC East," Pete Prisco wrote. "You have to stop the Bills and Josh Allen. That means cover corners are at a premium. Gardner is the best cover player in the draft. This should mean more man for Robert Saleh and crew. Good pick."

Bleacher Report - A

"Gardner’s physicality is a dream for Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme," Brent Sobleski wrote. "In which he can beat up wide receivers near the line of scrimmage like Richard Sherman once did."

FOX Sports - A-

"With a nickname and personality like 'Sauce,' Gardner was perhaps destined for Broadway," Rob Rang wrote. "Jets coach Robert Saleh likely saw a faster version of his former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman in Gardner, who did not allow a single touchdown reception over his college career. Pairing Gardner with free-agent addition D.J. Reed (Seattle) gives Saleh and the Jets the cornerback duo to contend with division rival Miami as one of the elite secondary pairings in the league."

PFF - Very Good

"A lot of the talk in the pre-draft process was that the Jets were going to target an edge defender or offensive tackle in this spot, but instead, they opted for the cornerback who didn’t allow a touchdown in his college career at Cincinnati," Ben Linsey wrote. "Gardner is a strong fit in Robert Saleh’s defense, and it’s hard to poke holes in his profile from size to athleticism to college production. He allowed just 43% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be completed across his three seasons with the Bearcats."

SB Nation - A

"I think Sauce Gardner will be the best cornerback from this draft when the dust settles," James Dator wrote. "He’s got phenomenal size, great instincts, and let’s face it — he never allowed a touchdown in college. There are some discipline issues with how he plays, as he likes to grab and give up some dumb penalties from time to time, but that’s not a concern for me. We’re talking about a guy with Darrelle Revis skills in Richard Sherman’s body. I love it."

Combing through most available grades, and I have not found one outlet that gave Sauce to the Jets lower than a B+. The analysts and evaluators are all on the same page when it comes to some apple sauce in the Big Apple.

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