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Sauce Gardner

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Sauce Gardner
refer to caption
Gardner in 2022
No. 1 – New York Jets
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (2000-08-31) August 31, 2000 (age 24)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Martin Luther King Jr. (Detroit)
College:Cincinnati (2019–2021)
NFL draft:2022: 1st round, 4th pick
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2024
Total tackles:181
Sacks:1.0
Forced fumbles:1
Pass deflections:40
Interceptions:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner (born August 31, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected fourth overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft. Gardner was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named first-team All-Pro.

Early life

[edit]

Gardner was born on August 31, 2000, in Detroit, Michigan.[1] He attended Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, where he played wide receiver and cornerback on their football team.[2] In the Division 2 State Championship, Gardner caught four passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. After the season, Gardner was named an All-State selection at cornerback by the Associated Press. A three-star cornerback recruit, Gardner committed to play college football at Cincinnati over offers from Akron, Alabama A&M, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Colorado State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Northern Illinois, Syracuse, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Youngstown State.[3]

College career

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In 2019, his true freshman season, Gardner played in 11 games. He had 31 tackles and three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He also tallied 11 passes defended and eight pass breakups. After the season, Gardner was the only true freshman named to the American Athletic Conference first-team.[4][5] As a sophomore in 2020, Gardner began the season atop the depth chart as a starter.[6] As a junior, Gardner was voted to the 2021 College Football All-America Team and named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year en route to helping Cincinnati become the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff.[7][8][9] He declared for the 2022 NFL draft following the season.[10]

College statistics

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Season GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Solo Ast Cmb TfL Sck Int Yds Avg TD PD FR FF TD
2019 11 24 7 31 0 0 3 78 26 2 6 0 0 0
2020 9 16 12 28 0.5 0.5 3 18 6 0 6 0 0 0
2021 13 28 12 40 5 3 3 7 2.3 0 4 0 0 0
Career 33 68 31 99 5.5 3.5 9 103 11.4 2 16 0 0 0

Professional career

[edit]

Pre-draft

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ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks ranked Gardner as the top cornerback prospect in the draft.[11] Dane Brugler of the Athletic and Rob Rang of Fox Sports ranked him as the second best cornerback in the draft. Pro Football Focus had him ranked third among all cornerbacks available in the draft.[11] Cory Giddings of Bleacher Report had Gardner ranked as the second best cornerback (11th overall) among his position group.[12] NFL draft analysts and scouts unanimously projected him to be selected in the first round.

External videos
video icon Sauce Gardner's College Highlights
video icon 2022 NFL Combine: Sauce Gardner

"Since joining the Bearcats, Gardner has filled out his frame and became a standout starter as a true freshman. He is a feisty competitor with excellent coverage instincts and he has above average ball skills. When it comes to areas of concern at the next level, there can be some drag-down tendencies as a tackler."

–The Draft Network
Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split
6 ft 2+3⁄4 in
(1.90 m) 		190 lb
(86 kg) 		33+1⁄2 in
(0.85 m) 		9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.41 s 1.51 s 2.56 s
All values from NFL Combine[13][14]

2022

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The New York Jets selected Gardner in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[15] He was the second cornerback selected in the draft and also became the highest drafted cornerback in the Jets' franchise history, surpassing 2013 first round pick (ninth overall) Dee Milliner. He was also the first of three Cincinnati defensive backs drafted along with second round pick (62nd overall) Bryan Cook and fourth round pick (102nd overall) Coby Bryant.

External videos
video icon NY Jets select Sauce Gardner No. 4
video icon New York Jets call Sauce Gardner
video icon Jets' draft room celebrates Sauce Gardner

"You do see it on tape, talking, quizzing, watching film with the guy. You can see that he’s an outside the box thinker, he can see, he’s got great vision of the field, he’s a tremendous communicator, can diagnose a play before it ever snaps. Again, I’m not comparing, but just being with Sherm, I mean the guy knew the play as soon as they broke the huddle… So, Sauce has a tremendous mental makeup to him that allows him to see the game differently than what most players can."[16]

Gardner (right) in his rookie season with the Jets.

On May 7, 2022, the New York Jets signed Gardner to a fully-guaranteed four–year, $33.45 million rookie contract that includes an initial signing bonus of $21.50 million.[17][18]

Throughout training camp, he competed to be a starting cornerback against Bryce Hall under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.[19] Head coach Robert Saleh named him a starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him with D. J. Reed.[20][21]

On September 11, 2022, Gardner made his professional regular season debut and earned his first career start in the New York Jets' home-opener against the Baltimore Ravens and recorded two solo tackles and one pass deflection during a 9–24 loss. On October 9, 2022, Gardner made five combined tackles (three solo), one pass deflection, and had his first career interception on a pass by Teddy Bridgewater to wide receiver River Cracraft during a 40–17 victory against the Miami Dolphins.[22] In Week 7, he set a season-high with ten combined tackles (eight solo) and had three pass deflections during a 16–9 victory at the Denver Broncos. He earned the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[23] On November 6, 2022, he made seven combined tackles (three solo), one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass attempt thrown by Josh Allen to wide receiver Gabriel Davis during a 20–17 win against the Buffalo Bills. He started all 17 games as a rookie in 2022 and finished with a total of 75 combined tackles (51 solo), two interceptions, and led the league with 20 passes defensed.[24][25] He was selected for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games, joining Tariq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks as the only rookies selected.[26] He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and was also named a first-team All-Pro, becoming the first rookie cornerback to achieve the honor since Ronnie Lott in 1981.[27][28] He was ranked 23rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[29] He received an overall grade of 88.5 from Pro Football Focus as a rookie in 2022.

2023

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He entered training camp slated as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback. He was named a starting cornerback to begin the season and was paired with D. J. Reed.[30]

In Week 2, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (four solo) and had one pass deflection during a 10–30 loss at the Dallas Cowboys. On October 14, 2023, the Jets announced that they chose to place Gardner in concussion protocol and he would remain inactive for the Jets' Week 6 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.[31] The concussion occured during the week leading up to their 20–14 victory against the Eagles, but Gardner released a statement saying he was perfectly fine and he didn't agree with the decision to list him inactive.[32] He finished the season with 57 combined tackles (41 solo), 11 pass deflections, and one forced fumble in 16 games and 16 starts.[33] He earned Pro Bowl honors for the second consecutive season and was also selected to be first-team All-Pro.[34][35] Gardner became the third defensive player and only cornerback in NFL history to receive first-team All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons in the league.[36] He received an overall grade of 88.6 from Pro Football Focus in 2023.[37]

2024

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Head coach Robert Saleh named Gardner and D. J. Reed the starting cornerbacks to begin their third consecutive season.[38] On September 9, 2024, Gardner started in the New York Jets' season-opener at the San Francisco 49ers and had three combined tackles (one solo), made one pass deflection, and had his first career sack on wide receiver Deebo Samuel for a four–yard loss during a 19–32 loss. In Week 4, he set a season-high with five combined tackles (four solo) during a 9–10 loss against the Denver Broncos. On October 8, 2024, the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh after beginning the season with a 2–3 record and appointed defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich the interim head coach for the remaining 12 games.[39] In Week 13, Gardner made three solo tackles and two pass deflections before exiting in the fourth quarter of a 21–26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks due to a hamstring injury. He subsequently remained inactive for the Jets' 26–32 overtime loss at the Miami Dolphins in Week 14.[40] On December 15, 2014, Gardner had five combined tackles (two solo), made two pass deflections, and secured the Jets' 32–25 victory at the Jacksonville Jaguars by intercepting a pass by Mac Jones to wide receiver Parker Washington with only 44 seconds remaining. On January 4, 2025, the Jets officially placed him on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury and he remained inactive as they defeated the Miami Dolphins 32–20 in Week 18.[41] He finished the 2024 NFL season with 49 combined tackles (36 solo), nine pass deflections, one interception, and one sack in 15 games and 15 starts.[42] He received an overall grade of 70.2 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 47th among 222 qualifying cornerbacks in 2024.[43]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL QBH Sck Sfty PD Int Yds Y/I Lng TD FF FR Yds Y/R TD
2022 NYJ 17 17 75 51 24 3 1 0.0 - 20 2 19 9.5 16 0 0 0 0 - 0
2023 NYJ 16 16 57 41 16 2 0 0.0 - 11 0 0 - 0 0 1 0 0 - 0
2024 NYJ 15 15 49 36 13 1 1 1.0 - 9 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0
Career 48 48 181 128 53 6 2 1.0 - 40 3 19 6.3 16 0 1 0 0 - 0

Personal life

[edit]

Gardner is a Christian.[44]

Gardner took the nickname "Sauce",[a] from a youth football coach at age six.[45][46] In 2022, he partnered with the sports bar chain Buffalo Wild Wings to endorse a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce known as "Sauce Sauce".[47]

Notes

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  1. ^ Originally A1 Sauce Sweet Feet Gardner before being shortened

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2022 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. pp. 228–229. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  2. ^ McCabe, Mick; Dunlap, Keith (December 14, 2018). "Meet the 2018 Free Press' All-Detroit high school football team". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Ahmad Gardner, New York Jets, Cornerback". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Neuffer, Phil (March 4, 2020). "Cincinnati Bearcats Football Season in Review: Ahmad Gardner". Down the Drive. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  5. ^ Lusk, Logan (March 4, 2020). "Q&A — Football sophomore Ahmad Gardner". The News Record. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Goricki, David (September 1, 2020). "At Cincinnati, Detroit King's Ahmad Gardner takes his place among nation's top cornerbacks". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "Consensus All-America Teams (2020-2022)". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  8. ^ "AAC Defensive Player of the Year Winners". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Zagoria, Adam (December 5, 2021). "Cincinnati Becomes First 'Group Of Five' Team To Make College Football Playoff And Will Face No. 1 Alabama". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (January 4, 2022). "2022 NFL Draft: Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner declares after dominant career with Bearcats program". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Eric Smith (April 22, 2022). "2022 NFL Draft Prospects for Vikings: Cornerbacks". Vikings.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  12. ^ "Ahmad Gardner NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Cincinnati CB". bleacherreport.com. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  13. ^ "Sauce Gardner Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  14. ^ "2022 Draft Scout Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  15. ^ Bell, Jack (April 29, 2022). "Jets Select CB Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner with No. 4 Pick of 2022 NFL Draft". NewYorkJets.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  16. ^ Phillip Martinez (May 6, 2022). "Jets' Robert Saleh: Sauce Gardner sees the game 'differently' than most players". SNY.tv. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  17. ^ "Spotrac.com: Sauce Gardner contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  18. ^ Lange, Randy (May 7, 2022). "Sauce Gardner, Jets' Top Draft Pick, Signs His Rookie Contract". NewYorkJets.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  19. ^ Billy Riccette (August 28, 2022). "Sauce Gardner officially wins cornerback battle". jetswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  20. ^ "New York Jets release first unofficial depth chart of 2022". jetsxfactor.com. August 8, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  21. ^ Billy Riccette (August 8, 2022). "Jets unveil first unofficial depth chart". jetswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  22. ^ Clark, Dave (October 9, 2022). "Big half for former UC Bearcats star Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner includes first NFL INT, safety". The Enquirer. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  23. ^ Gordon, Grant (October 26, 2022). "Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Giants QB Daniel Jones among Players of the Week". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  24. ^ "Sauce Gardner 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  25. ^ "2022 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  26. ^ "Pro Bowl selections for all 32 teams: Full AFC, NFC rosters". ESPN.com. December 22, 2022. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  27. ^ Alper, Josh (February 10, 2023). "2022 NFL defensive rookie of the year: Sauce Gardner". ProFootballTalk. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  28. ^ Maaddi, Rob (January 13, 2023). "NFL All-Pros: Kelce, Jefferson unanimous; 16 first-timers". APNews.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  29. ^ "2023 NFL Top 100". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  30. ^ Billy Riccette (September 7, 2023). "Jets release first depth chart of season ahead of Week 1". jetswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  31. ^ Bobby Kownack (October 14, 2023). "Jets CB Sauce Gardner (concussion) downgraded to out for Sunday's game against Eagles". NFL.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  32. ^ Andy Vasquez (October 26, 2023). "Jets' Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed still in concussion protocol. Time to worry?". NJ.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  33. ^ "Sauce Gardner 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  34. ^ "2023 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  35. ^ "2023 NFL All-Pros". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  36. ^ "Will Sauce Gardner's quest to be the best CB be overshadowed by lack of interceptions?". ESPN.com. September 19, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  37. ^ Jim Wyman (September 3, 2024). "Updated 2024 NFL roster rankings: Strengths, weaknesses and X factors for every starting lineup". PFF.com. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  38. ^ Matthew Postins (September 5, 2024). "New York Jets Release First Depth Chart of Regular Season". SI.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  39. ^ Allen, Eric (October 8, 2024). "Jets Part Ways With Robert Saleh, Name Jeff Ulbrich Interim Head Coach". New York Jets. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  40. ^ Ethan Greenberg (December 4, 2024). "Jeff Ulbrich: Jets Are 'Assessing' Severity of Sauce Gardner's Hamstring Injury". newyorkjets.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  41. ^ "Jets Injury Tracker: Sauce Gardner placed on injured reserve". sny.tv. January 4, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  42. ^ "Pro-Football-Reference: Sauce Gardner Game Logs (2024)". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  43. ^ "Pro Football Focus: Sauce Gardner". PFF.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  44. ^ "Sauce Gardner: Follower of Christ, Child of God". Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  45. ^ Vasquez, Andy (April 28, 2022). "Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner: 3 things to know about NY Jets' No. 1 pick in 2022 NFL Draft". North Jersey. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  46. ^ Thamel, Pete (November 18, 2021). "Here's how Bearcats star Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner got that nickname and why his skills have caught NFL eyes". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  47. ^ Riccette, Billy (August 29, 2022). "Sauce Gardner to create 'Sauce sauce' with Buffalo Wild Wings". Jets Wire. USA Today. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
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