Sauce Gardner flames Giants fans who laughed at Jets picking him over huge bust

The NY Jets' 2022 NFL Draft class will go down in history as one of the greatest in recent memory, as they added three franchise cornerstones in Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson in the same round. This young core is one of the main reasons Aaron Rodgers wanted to be traded here.

The crosstown rival Giants, however, didn't come out of 2022 (a year in which they had two top 10 picks) with the same elite talent in their possession. No. 5 pick Kayvon Thibodeau is a solid player, but No. 7 choice Evan Neal is heading firmly toward major bust territory after two seasons.

Giants fans who mocked the Gardner selection on Draft Night didn't exactly cover themselves in glory over the next two years, as the difference between how Gardner has started his NFL career compared to what Neal has done with New York couldn't be more night and day.

Never one to forget any slight taken against him, Gardner was quick to jump on Twitter and mock a pair of Giants fans who laughed at the Jets for passing on Neal. Not a soul in the world would do the same if they knew Gardner would be half of the dominant cornerback he evolved into.

NY Jets CB Sauce Gardner rips Giants fans who laughed at him in NFL Draft

Gardner has been named a First-Team All-Pro performer in his first two seasons in the league, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and routinely grading at or near the top of basically any metric that measures cornerback play. Part of why Robert Saleh's defense works is due to Gardner's sticky coverage ability.

Neal, on the other hand, has been dismal in the pros, playing in just 20 games and often struggling when he's out there. Neal's 39.8 PFF grade shows that he was one of the worst linemen in the league last season.

Gardner has become a fan favorite for his stellar play and vibrant personality off the field. Neal, on the other hand, said that fans who ripped his poor play "flip hamburgers" and was forced to make an apology. Which one would you rather have going into the 2024 season?

For all of Joe Douglas' missteps as a GM, he did author one of the best drafts in the last decade, with Gardner as the crown jewel of the whole operation. If he took Neal instead of Sauce, he may not have his job.