Jaguars Take Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner With First Pick In ESPN's 2022 NFL Re-Draft

The rookie was head and shoulders better than every other player in the 2023 class.

CINCINNATI — Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner was a top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but ESPN thinks he'd go No. 1 if the NFL had a redo.

Gardner is the heavy favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and became the first rookie since 2015 to lead the NFL in pass breakups this past season.

"Adding an elite cornerback in a conference that includes quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert is a no-brainer," Michael DiRocco wrote. "Gardner led the NFL in passes defended (20), had two interceptions, and was named first-team All-Pro for the Jets. With the development of Tyson Campbell, this would give the Jaguars one of the league's best cornerback tandems. Walker had 3.5 sacks as a rookie, and his pass rush win rate (10%) ranked 41st of 48 qualifying edge rushers."

Gardner's positional value was a big reason he didn't go No. 1 overall in the first place. Cornerbacks aren't as valuable as edge rushers.

Although, that gap is shrinking in recent years, and thus far, Gardner's been a much stronger bet as this class's top player than Walker.

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