Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner Moves Ahead of Kyle Hamilton, Becomes Top Defensive Back on Latest 2022 NFL Draft Big Board

Will Gardner be the top defensive back picked in this years' class?

CINCINNATI — Ahmad Gardner could make Bearcats history in the NFL Draft later this month. 

The man they call "Sauce" is expected to be a top 10 pick and could be selected in the top five. 

No player in Bearcats history has been picked earlier than fifth overall (Greg Cook, 1969). Gardner is ranked third on Daniel Jeremiah's latest big board. He's ahead of Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton, who's considered the top safety in this class. 

"Gardner is a tall, long cornerback with elite movement skills and toughness. In press coverage, he uses his length to successfully re-route wideouts. He has abnormal fluidity for such a huge cornerback (6-foot-3, 200 pounds)," Jeremiah wrote. "He can completely open his hips to mirror and match underneath. He’s rarely out of position, but if it happens, he has an incredible burst to recover. From off coverage, he is fluid and explodes out of his plant and drive. He has natural ball skills; he can find it and play it. His overall awareness is excellent. He is very willing as a run defender and blitzer. Although he'll miss an occasional tackle, the aggressiveness and want-to are easy to identify. Overall, Gardner has a unique skill set for his size, and I see similarities to four-time Pro Bowler Antonio Cromartie coming out of Florida State."

Hamilton is fourth in Jeremiah's rankings. Both guys are top-10 locks and could go off the board much sooner in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Check out Jeremiah's latest big board here.

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