NY Jets CB Sauce Gardner spoke with DeAndre Hopkins last week

NY Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner has done his fair share of recruiting this offseason. You can add All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to that growing list.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer speculated on Wednesday that the Jets could have interest in "making a run" at a Hopkins trade this offseason. Breer's words came across more as speculation than a report, but that didn't stop Jets fans from latching on to the idea.

Gardner was among those to take notice of the Hopkins news, and he responded with a little recruitment of his own. The All-Pro cornerback insisted that he "had a great talk" with Hopkins when the two were in Dallas together last week.

Does this mean much? Probably not, but it certainly helped fuel rumors that the Jets could consider trading for Hopkins.

The NY Jets should absolutely attempt to trade for DeAndre Hopkins

Gardner's recruitment attempts have been hit or miss this offseason. The 2022 first-round pick was notably active in the Jets' attempt to sign Odell Beckham Jr., even FaceTiming him prior to his NFL-wide workout.

The Beckham recruitment pitch didn't prove fruitful, but Gardner's symbolic burning of the cheesehead to recruit Aaron Rodgers seems to have worked. Either way, it's always nice to see a franchise cornerstone like Gardner championing the organization.

As for Hopkins, the Jets may not need a wide receiver, but it's hard to argue against the idea of adding a superstar talent to their roster. This article explains in further detail why a Hopkins trade is both realistic and the right move for the Jets.

The finances could be tricky, but it's not an impossible situation. The Jets have been kicking money into the future all offseason, and they could absolutely do the same with Hopkins.

Will Sauce Gardner's recruitment pitch work this time? I'd say it's probably unlikely, but we can always dream.