Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) eyes Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) on a touchdown pass in the second quarter during the American Athletic Conference football championship game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Aac Championship Tulsa Golden Hurricane At Cincinnati Bearcats Football Dec 19 — © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Four Bearcats Selected in Latest Two-Round Mock Draft, Including Ahmad Gardner in the Top-Three

Cincinnati could set multiple program draft records in roughly two weeks time.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Apr 13, 2022 7:54 AM EDT

CINCINNATI — ESPN's Mel Kiper just revealed his first two-round mock draft of the year, and four Bearcats landed in the first 60 picks starting with cornerback Ahmad Gardner at No. 2 to the Detroit Lions.

"Can I interest you in a 6-foot-3 corner with long arms and 4.41 40-yard dash speed who didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage in college? That's Gardner," Kiper wrote. "The Lions have several needs and would likely jump at Aidan Hutchinson if he somehow fell here. If they can get something out of Jeff Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft who has played just 10 games in two seasons, they could have a much-improved secondary."

Gardner is the consensus sixth-best prospect and is being picked by the New York Jets (No. 4) most often in the past month (24% of mock drafts).

Next, quarterback Desmond Ridder went off the board at No. 40 to the Seattle Seahawks.

"Here's a landing spot for the third quarterback in this class," Kiper said. "Are the Seahawks really going to start Drew Lock all year? I don't buy it. Ridder is an experienced, savvy signal-caller (43 college wins) who can be a little erratic at times. If he can get his accuracy issues under control, he could be a starter, especially with the type of targets Seattle has. This might be the best-case scenario for the franchise because Ridder won't have the expectations of a first-round pick while playing in the shadow of Russell Wilson."

Ridder is the consensus 37th-best prospect and is being mocked most often to the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 20) over the past week (13% of mock drafts).

Wide receiver Alec Pierce followed Ridder on the selection list by heading to Green Bay at No. 53.

"My comp for Pierce will be familiar to Packers fans -- it's Jordy Nelson," Kiper declared. "And Green Bay got Nelson in the second round, too. The 6-foot-3 Pierce ran a 4.41 40 at the combine and also had a 40.5-inch vertical. He has rare physical tools, which have him climbing draft boards. He could thrive on go routes from Aaron Rodgers."

The Packers would be a fantastic landing spot for Pierce who is the consensus 76th-ranked prospect. He's been included in six mock drafts since October and went to the Packers in three of those exercises.

Last but not least, is defensive end Myjai Sanders who is joining Pierce in Green Bay at No. 59.

"Sanders weighed just 228 pounds at the combine and reportedly had lost weight because of a stomach bug," Kiper explained. "He should settle in the 240-range in the NFL, and he might be best suited as an outside linebacker. But he has some explosive traits off the edge, and he could be an interesting high-upside pick on Day 2. The Packers have to add young edge talent in this draft."

Sanders is the consensus 74th-ranked prospect and has been included in 11 mock drafts in 2022. The Packers and Titans selected him most often in those 11 mocks (Packers: 2, Titans: 3).

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

You May Also Like:

Indiana Transfer Guard Rob Phinisee Places Cincinnati in Top-Two Choices

Cincinnati Offers Five-Star 2024 Center Somtochukwu Cyril

Luke Fickell: 'You Can't Leave a Legacy in a Few Years'

Cincinnati Cracks West Virginia Transfer Sean McNeil's Top-Six School

Eight Bearcats Selected in Latest Seven-Round Mock Draft

Peter King: Desmond Ridder 'Likely' a First-Round Pick

Pinging The Portal: Cincinnati Stays Focused on Pair of Guard Targets

Four-Star 2023 Guard Rayvon Griffith Places Cincinnati in Top-Five Schools

Takeaways From UC's 2022 Spring Game

Watch: Luke Fickell and Gino Guidugli Give their Thoughts on 2022 UC Spring Game