In last week’s prospect article, we looked at one of the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft class in Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson. This week, it’s time to take another look at a position of need on the Jags’ defense, which is cornerback.

The Jaguars entered the 2021 season with what many believe was a strong and encouraging cornerback room. Sidney Jones IV was coming off of a promising end to his 2020 campaign, CJ Henderson showed promise in limited playing time as a rookie, and the team went out and signed veteran Shaquill Griffin from Seattle.

However, Urban Meyer and company decided to add another corner in the draft, selecting Georgia’s Tyson Campbell. Fast-forward to week 6 of the 2021 season and the outlook is now very different. The front office traded Jones and Henderson and injuries have plagued the remaining players from the once deep group.

As of week 6, the Jaguars’ defense is allowing an astonishing 74% completion percentage and has just one takeaway all season, good for last in the NFL. Healthy or not, this secondary needs some answers.

One prospect who already caught the eyes of league scouts is Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Standing at 6-foot-2, 188 pounds, Gardner brings the length that is so desired among NFL corners. He brings that corner mentality, too, that has become so revered. His name is Sauce, need I say more?

Statistically, Gardner is one of a kind. Since 2019, Gardner has yet to allow a touchdown, scored three of his own, and has a passer rating allowed of 35.3. For reference, spiking a ball in the dirt is good for a rating of 39.6, which means the young corner has been that good. This season for the 4th ranked Bearcats, Gardner has allowed just four receptions and has gone 187 coverage snaps without allowing a completion of 15 yards or longer.

His talent goes well beyond analytics and a box score, though. Gardner’s length, athleticism, and physicality have helped to make him what he is. He’s extremely quick to react and his natural instincts help to make his explosiveness appear even quicker. His late game pick-six against Eastern Carolina in 2019 is evidence of this.

Let’s take a look at what he brings to the table.

As Jordan Reid of The Draft Network points out, Gardner’s length is something that sets him apart. His length gives him the ability to contest any catch and is the main reason for his incredible ability to cause pass breakups and create picks. It has also gotten him into trouble at times, too.

Among a great cornerback class, Gardner’s mirroring ability is among the best. As the aforementioned stats from earlier point out, Gardner gives receivers little room to operate if any. He’s step for step the entire way, pestering pass catchers throughout their routes. Whether it’s his ability to click and close or his physicality at the catch point, Gardner leaves little for the receivers to use to gain an advantage

Gardner has gotten so much better since his freshman year. Notably, his footwork has greatly improved. He looks much more fluid now than he did two years ago in Cincinnati. His physicality can sometimes get the best of him as he gets a bit handsy at times and can be susceptible to pass interference penalties. It’s a lot easier to ease a player out of being too physical than to try to be more physical, a problem rookie cornerback Tyson Campbell has struggled with recently. Gardner has the exact opposite problem at times.

While Gardner might not be the freak athlete that Derek Stingley Jr. is, he no doubt has the skill and talent to be a contender to be the first corner off the board come April. His production is second to none and if the Jaguars are looking for a safe option to solidify the secondary, Gardner could be their guy. He’s certainly one teams and fans should be on the lookout for, as he has been as lockdown as they come in college football.