Chargers Met With Cincinnati CB Sauce Gardner at NFL Combine
Cornerbacks at the NFL Combine took to the podium Saturday inside the Indiana Convention Center to speak with reporters.
Among them was Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner, who's highly regarded among the top defensive back in this year's draft class.
Gardner said that he's met with the Chargers in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine, per MJ Hurley of Sports Illustrated's Charger Report.
Mar 5, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati defensive back Sauce Gardner (DB14) talks to the media during the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Gardner told reporters Saturday that with his NFL dream becoming a reality, he's finally been put in a position to tell his mother she can retire.
"It felt great," Gardner said via NFL.com. "She'll always be like, 'Nah, I'm gonna go to work.' It just felt great to be like 'no, you don't have to anymore.' That was just a blessing, because I always told her growing up, 'you ain't gonna have to work anymore.' When I wanted her to pay for camps, she'd be like 'do you have to go to this camp?' ... She'd always end up paying for it so I could showcase my talent. It got me here."
On Sunday, Gardner will have the opportunity to put his talents on notice in yet another showcase event. This one being inside Lucus Oil Stadium for what's considered to be the biggest job interview of his life.
Gardner is NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's No. 4 player in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jeremiah wrote the following about Gardner in his top 50 prospect rankings:
"Gardner is a tall, long cornerback with elite movement skills and toughness. In press coverage, he uses his length to successfully re-route wideouts. He has abnormal fluidity for such a huge cornerback (6-3, 200). He can completely open his hips to mirror and match underneath. He’s rarely out of position, but if it happens, he has an incredible burst to recover. From off coverage, he is fluid and explodes out of his plant and drive. He has natural ball skills; he can find it and play it. His overall awareness is excellent. He is very willing as a run defender and blitzer. Although he'll miss an occasional tackle, the aggressiveness and want-to are easy to identify. Overall, Gardner has a unique skill set for his size, and I see similarities to four-time Pro Bowler Antonio Cromartie coming out of Florida State."
Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Ahmad Gardner (1) celebrates a sack of Houston Cougars quarterback Clayton Tune (3) in the second quarter during the American Athletic Conference championship football game, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Houston Cougars At Cincinnati Bearcats Aac Championship Dec 4
Gardner recorded 40 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups and three sacks in his final year with the Bearcats. Gardner was as lock-down as they come in the college ranks, as teams threw away from his side of the field by design.
The Chargers hold the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. If they stay put in that draft slot, Gardner will presumably be off the board.
However, if Gardner impresses enough, the Chargers could make a move up the draft board in the form of a trade. But that has historically not been in the Chargers' DNA as it pertains to their drafting tendencies.
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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick and Charger Report on Twitter @NickCothrel & @ChargerReport for more Chargers coverage.
