Analyzing how Sauce Gardner fits in on the NY Jets defense

In Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, the NY Jets selected Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner fourth overall. Gardner was a standout at Cincinnati and someone who many believe may have been the best player in the entire NFL Draft.

Gardner has always been an incredible football talent. In high school, Gardner played both wide receiver and cornerback and was named one of the top five players in the state of Iowa. After high school, Gardner committed to play college football at the University of Cincinnati.

At the Cincinnati, Gardner would continue to ball out. In his freshman year, Gardner played a total of 11 games and finished with 31 tackles and three interceptions. Of the three interceptions, two were brought back for a touchdown.

He was the only freshman to be named to the All-American Conference first team. All of this culminated on January 5th, 2022 when Sauce Gardner announced he was entering the 2022 NFL Draft.

How Sauce Gardner fits in with the NY Jets

Gardner joins a Jets defense that has significantly improved this offseason. With the addition of Gardner, the Jets now have Bryce Hall, D.J. Reed, Brandin Echols, and Michael Carter II at cornerback. If all goes according to plan, this coming year could be the year things finally turn around for the Jets.

Last year, the Jets finished ranked 29th in pass defense. They had a rough year allowing 259 yards per game while giving up a total of 4,682 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Adding Sauce Gardner to an already-improved Jets defense gives the team a lot of potential. The defense last year was rough, to put it bluntly.

The defense in the coming year looks significantly better on paper. Expect Gardner to have a big impact in his rookie year and expect the defense to have received a massive upgrade with the addition of arguably the best player in the 2022 NFL Draft.