Sauce Gardner is one of the best cornerbacks in football, so the New York Jets star is probably a good judge for who the NFL’s best wide receivers are.
During a recent appearance on The Pivot podcast, Gardner was asked who he feels are the top five wide outs in the game, and named Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, in no particular order.
The most surprising name on that list is Cooper, who is widely regarded as a very good receiver but probably wouldn’t make many top fives.
However, Gardner has faced these guys, so we should probably take his word for it.
Gardner is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 16 games and registered 57 tackles, a forced fumble and 11 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
The 23-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Cincinnati, was selected by the Jets with the fourth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He enjoyed a spectacular rookie season, appearing in every contest and finishing with 75 tackles, a couple of interceptions and a league-best 20 passes defended, making a trip to the Pro Bowl and notching First-Team All-Pro honors. He also won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Don’t let Gardner’s lack of picks fool you: he is a genuine shutdown corner and has only allowed three touchdowns over his first couple of years in the NFL.
Gardner is a big reason why New York ranked second in the league in passing defense and third in the NFL in defense overall in 2023.
We’ll see what Sauce Gardner and the Jets have in store for the AFC East and the rest of the league heading into next season.
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