Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner Moves Into Top Five of Latest 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings

He's considered the top cornerback in this class.

CINCINNATI — Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner was the definition of a lockdown corner for the Bearcats in 2021. His stellar play has put him in position to be the first cornerback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Gardner is fourth in Daniel Jeremiah's latest prospect rankings. Only Aidan Hutchinson, Ickey Ekwonu and Kyle Hamilton are ahead of him. 

"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 (6-3, 200)," 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."

Washington defensive back Trent McDuffie and LSU star Derek Stingley are also in the mix to be the first cornerback taken on draft night. They're ranked 12th and 15th in Jeremiah's rankings. 

Check out his top 50 prospects here. 

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