THE Sauce Keeper the hype continues to bubble up.
Another NFL talking head revealed AFC scout’s words praising New York Jets‘The second-year cornerback. Jordan Schultz, who covers the League for theScore, cited a hot version of Gardner in “Review of key assets: AFC East“.
“It’s Richard Sherman, it’s Deion (Sanders), it’s (Darrelle) Revis; it’s all those guys. You combine a very technically sound cornerback with size and instincts. I think that’s why he’s so good, so early,” said the “AFC North Scout via Schultz.”
Jets general manager Joe Douglas provided a similar assessment of Gardner shortly after the team drafted the Cincinnati product No. 4 overall in 2022.
“Sauce can do it all. He can play zone, he can play man, he can win in critical moments, he can run with the faster guys, he can defend the bigger guys. He’s elite and really “Lucky we got him at four,” Douglas said.
As a rookie, Gardner started all 17 regular season games. Going up against star receivers Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill, the 6-foot-3 cornerback has racked up 20 passes defended, 75 tackles and two interceptions in 2022.
Meanwhile, Schultz’s report came only a week after Gardner won the Sports Illustrated cover story.
READ Sports Illustrated Special Sauce Issue Features Jets Cornerback on Cover
For traditionalists, the IS cover signals a special greatness that only a lucky few have experienced. Former Jets greats such as Joe Namath, Darrelle Revis and Keyshawn Johnson have appeared on the cover of the magazine, which launched in 1954.
NFL fans have had their fill of gravy throughout the offseason.
The second-year pro has made appearances on the NFL Network at both the combine harvester early March and draft end of April.
In February, Gardner was a featured guest at the NFL Honors Ceremony, where he received the League’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The shutdown defensive back also earned All-Pro honors as a freshman.
Gardner also gained attention by attending a New York Knicks playoff game on May 2 as part of a Contingent led by Aaron Rodgers.
It was Gardner who took social media by storm with his successful attempt to recruit Rodgers to the Jets. Of tagged tweets at the ceremony cheese head burn live on YouTube, Gardner was an active pitcher for the four-time NFL MVP.
Like it or not, Sauce Gardner has to become a star while playing in the mega media market that is New York.
Buy your copy of Sauce on the SI cover HERE.
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