Jets' Sauce Gardner: Leads league in passes defensed
Rotowire
Gardner finished the 2022 season with 75 tackles (51 solo), two interceptions and a league-high 20 passes defensed.
Gardner's addition played a key role in New York's historic improvement on defense compared to last season, as the Jets went from 29.6 points allowed per game to 18.6. There's a strong argument that the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft was the best cover corner in the league as a rookie considering Gardner led the NFL in passes defensed despite teams rarely throwing his way. Many a prominent wide receiver was "lost in the Sauce" in 2022, and that's likely to remain a common theme for years to come.
... See More... See Less
Jets' Sauce Gardner: Ready for action Sunday
Rotowire
Head coach Robert Saleh said Friday that Gardner (calf) is playing Sunday against the Bears, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
Gardner practiced in limited fashion on both Wednesday and Thursday this week while tending to a calf issue, but he was ultimately able to play every defensive snap versus the Patriots in Week 11 and expects to do it again this weekend versus Chicago. Across 10 games played this season, the 2022 fourth-overall draft pick has recorded 45 tackles, 14 passes defensed and two interceptions.
... See More... See Less
Jets' Sauce Gardner: Leading tackler in Week 7 win
Rotowire
Gardner had a team-high 10 tackles (nine solo) and three passes defensed in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Broncos.
Gardner locked down Courtland Sutton in man coverage for most of the afternoon, as Sutton finished the game with just three catches for 23 yards on nine targets. The most important of Gardner's pass breakups came on Denver's penultimate possession, as he denied a fourth-down pass to Sutton in the end zone. The rookie fourth overall pick set a new single-game career high in tackles as well, and Gardner has quickly blossomed into one of the league's premier players at his position.
... See More... See Less
Jets' Sauce Gardner: Undergoing evaluation
Rotowire
Gardner exited Sunday's game against the Packers to be evaluated for a head injury, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
Gardner jogged to the locker room after a collision with one of Green Bay's wide receivers during the second half, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. With the Jets currently up 27-10 late in the fourth quarter, expect cornerback Michael Carter to likely finish out the remainder of this contest.
... See More... See Less
Jets' Sauce Gardner: Wreaks havoc on Dolphins
Rotowire
Gardner had five tackles (three solo), an interception and a quarterback hit in Sunday's 40-17 win over the Dolphins.
Gardner blitzed on Miami's first offensive play of the game and got home. Not only did his clean hit knock Teddy Bridgewater out of the game with a head injury, but it also drew an intentional grounding flag on Bridgewater, which resulted in a safety. The rookie cornerback was flagged for pass interference for the first time in his career while defending Tyreek Hill later in the first quarter, but Gardner made amends by picking off Bridgewater's replacement Skylar Thompson in the second quarter for the first interception of Gardner's career.
... See More... See Less
Jets' Ahmad Gardner: Selected fourth overall by New York
Rotowire
The Jets selected Gardner in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, fourth overall.
Gardner is a big corner out of Cincinnati, where his press-heavy style of lockdown coverage earned him comparisons to NFL great Richard Sherman. Gardner has unmatched reach at 6-foot-3 with 33.5-inch arms, and his 4.41-second combine 40 demonstrated long speed to recover if he gets beat at the line of scrimmage. The Jets pass defense should improve noticeably with this selection.
