Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner CB Cincinnati

Height: 6’2’’

Weight: 200

Overall

Ahmad Gardner is an outside corner for Cincinnati’s defense. In his 3 college seasons, he played in 35 games, starting 28 of them. He is an excellent athlete and has the physical gifts needed to be a number one corner. He is highly competitive and played very well in a lot of big games during his career.

Pass Game

Gardner shows good footwork and fluidity off the line of scrimmage, but he takes too many false steps. His athleticism and fluidity allow him to mirror his man and he rarely allows separation down the field. He played primarily on the outside but also has experience playing in the slot which adds to his versatility. In press he shows good aggression at the line and does a great job of using his arm length to stick with his man down the field. He is a dominant man corner and can matchup with any receiver with his size, length, and athleticism. He has the vision and speed to be very good in zone coverage as well. He makes very good breaks on the ball and has the ball skills to create pass breakups and turnovers. He can really do it all against the pass and has everything needed to be a shutdown NFL corner.

Run Game

Against the run he showed good aggression when making tackles but he needs to get better at getting off his blocks. With his size and frame, he can grow into a player that can make an impact in the run game.

Last Word

Gardner projects best as an outside corner with his size and length but he also has the ability to play in the slot. He is extremely athletic and has everything you want in a franchise corner. He can be a number one corner in the NFL and can matchup with all types of receivers. With continued growth in his footwork and tackling he will be an all-around dominant corner. He has the ability to play on special teams as well.

One-Liner: Ahmad Gardner has the size, athleticism, and ball skills to be a lockdown corner in the pros and he can be an instant impact player.

Grade: 7.2 (High End 3 Down Starter)

Games Watched: 2021 – Alabama, Notre Dame, Indiana, Houston

Team Fits: Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets