Best CB Duo In NFL? Could Falcons Draft Sauce Gardner To Pair With A.J. Terrell?
Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot will have multiple options when selecting in the NFL Draft. Among those? Teams often covet two positions on defense more than others: pass rusher and cornerback.
While pass rusher is arguably the biggest need on defense after finishing last in the league in sacks, Fontenot has adopted a "best player available" strategy.
If the Falcons stay put at No. 8 in April's draft, Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner could be the top player on the board.
Playing Gardner opposite A.J. Terrell would give the Falcons one of the best young cornerback duos in the NFL, making life scary for opposing quarterbacks.
Gardner's size, frame and testing numbers have cemented him as the class' top corner. A three-year starter for the Bearcats, the 6-3 defender has the tools teams covet in a shutdown corner.
In college, he never allowed a touchdown. He also recorded nine interceptions and broke up 17 passes.
The secret ingredient to Gardner's game — as he puts it — is being forgetful. Not with the coverages or schematic look, but rather erasing what happened on the play before.
"As a cornerback, you've got to have short memory," Gardner said at the Scouting Combine. "I say that's my only disorder that I have, short-term memory loss."
Gardner said there's a switch to his mood. Away from the football field, he's calm, lighthearted and carefree.
When a receiver is lined up across his way, a new persona emerges, one ready to strike at any moment. It's how he came up with the nickname "Sauce."
"It's a level of competence," Gardner said. "When I'm on and off the field, I make sure I got the sauce, you know, and I just keep going."
Gardner has the speed, he posted a 4.41 40 time at the combine in Indianapolis. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished his career with a 31.8 passer rating and never allowed more than 18 yards per game in coverage.
Expect the Falcons to upgrade in the secondary this offseason in both free agency and the draft. Gardner could be part of that upgrade.
