The 2022 NFL draft has the potential to be one of the better drafts on the defensive side of the football in recent years.
Sure, the pass rushers are getting the bulk of the attention right now, as Kayvon Thibodeaux, Aidan Hutchinson, George Karlaftis and David Ojabo are getting a lot of praise and are usually among the names at the top of mock drafts.
Eventually, however, focus will turn to the cornerbacks. Derek Stingley Jr. has been a name mocked at the top of boards for years now, and that is not likely to change given how talented he is on the boundary. But another name you might want to familiarize yourself with is that of Cincinnati corner Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. A three-year starter for the Bearcats, Gardner has nine interceptions for his career, three in each of his collegiate seasons.
The other night, as I worked through my third hour of watching him, I figured it was time to dive into his film a bit more. In this video, we will discuss his man coverage skills, and you will see how he puts his length to use as a cornerback:
Later in the draft cycle we will dive into his ability in zone coverage settings, but if teams are looking for a man coverage corner with some press coverage chops, along with length, this might be their guy.
