New York Jets CB Sauce Gardner Brutally Ripped By NFL Exec

There isn’t much debate in football circles about how good New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has quickly cemented his status as arguably the top player at his position in the NFL.

Entering Year 3 of his career, league personnel certainly think highly of him. Over at ESPN , Jeremy Fowler put together rankings for each position based on votes from executives, coaches and scouts.

The New York Jets star came in at No. 3 on the cornerback rankings. Some personnel ranked him as high as No. 1, while others didn’t have him on their rankings at all.

One talent evaluator did not hold back when speaking about Sauce Gardner. There is a good chance they are the person who didn’t have him ranked in the top 10, brutally ripping his performance defensively.

“One of the most overrated players in the league. You could call holding on him every play.”

Being too handsy is a bad reputation that Sauce Gardner is beginning to develop. Fowler noted that several executives left him off their rankings as a result of that.

That seems like a little bit of a harsh assessment, as there is a lot to like about what Sauce Gardner brings to the table. He has a rare combination of size, length and athleticism to give him an edge over most of his opponents.

There are plenty of statistics he ranks near the top as well. His 19.3 percent ball hawk is among the best in the NFL.

One area that evaluators would like to see him improve is as a playmaker. He has recorded 31 pass breakups in two seasons but has only two interceptions. Sauce Gardner is making good plays, but the New York Jets can realistically expect an improvement in that area.

Alas, part of the reason that his statistics could be lacking is the amount of work he gets. As one evaluator noted, teams generally ignore his side of the field.

“He doesn’t get a lot of balls thrown at him,” a scouting director with an NFL team said . “He locks down and has been that good where teams throw away and don’t test him. That alone tells me something.”

That is a lot of respect for Sauce Gardner. That puts some pressure on his teammates, but the New York Jets have arguably the best defensive unit in the NFL heading into 2024.

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