Scouting report by Dane Brugler
BACKGROUND: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, who is the youngest of three children, was born and raised in Detroit by his mother (Alisa). He started playing football at age
6 for the East Side Bengals (at running back) and quickly developed a love for the game. Gardner attended Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High in downtown Detroit and
didn’t see much varsity action as an undersized wide receiver (5-8, 140 pounds) as a freshman and sophomore. He moved up to varsity full time as a junior receiver
but became a starting cornerback midseason after a teammate broke his jaw (October 2017). As a two-way player as a senior, Gardner led King to a 12-2 record and
the 2018 Division 3 state championship at Ford Field (caught two touchdown passes in the title game). He earned First Team All-State honors as a senior cornerback.
Gardner also lettered in track (sprints and relays) and set a personal best of 11.50 in the 100 meters.
A three-star recruit out of high school, Gardner was the No. 163 cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 41 recruit in the state of Michigan. With minimal
varsity tape at cornerback and his slender 160-pound frame, he wasn’t highly recruited, even by in-state programs like Michigan and Michigan State. Gardner
received his first offer from Toledo and finished with more than a dozen offers, including a few Power 5 programs such as Indiana, Iowa State and Kentucky. But he
forged a connection with Cincinnati coaches Luke Fickell and Marcus Freeman and signed with the Bearcats. His older brother (Allante) was a wide receiver and
running back at Division II Saginaw Valley State (2012-16) and Division III Lakeland (2017). Gardner elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.
STRENGTHS: Tall, stretched-out athlete … light-footed pedal and turn and his hip flip is unforced … long gait helps him stay in-phase and stay stride for stride with
receivers … accelerates in a blink to recover in coverage or drive underneath … poised in press and extends his long arms into receivers … above-average on-ball
production (nine career interceptions with two pick-sixes) … makes catch-point adjustments like a former wide receiver … uses the sideline wisely to cut off routes …
competitive play personality shows in run support and against physical pass catchers … exudes confidence and doesn’t apologize for being flashy (celebrates his
“Sauce” nickname, which was given to him at age 6 by his youth football coach) … his coaches say he raises the temperature in the room with his exuberant
personality but also holds teammates accountable … missed only one game the last three seasons (37 games played) … influenced offensive game plans as
quarterbacks looked elsewhere (saw only 2.9 targets per game in 2021 and didn’t give up a 20-plus yard reception).
WEAKNESSES: Sleek, lean-limbed body type and play strength is below average … occasionally finds himself upright in his movements, leaving him late to react to
shifty route runners … has moments of panic downfield that lead to excessive contact when he doesn’t trust his ball skills … penalized nine times the last two seasons
(seven pass-interference or defensive holding calls) … can do a better job with his tackling foundation to be a more reliable finisher in the run game … durability isn’t a
concern, but missed the 2020 bowl game with a back injury (December 2020).
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Cincinnati, Gardner was the boundary cornerback in defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s man-heavy scheme. Despite marginal
experience as a full-time cornerback in high school, he put his name on the NFL radar as a freshman and earned All-America status each of his three college seasons,
becoming the first non-specialist to earn Consensus All-America honors in school history. Gardner is a long-bodied, athletic cover man who does a great job staying on
top of routes to force quarterbacks to look elsewhere (saw only 11.0 percent of the defensive targets in 2021). He shows better poise at the line of scrimmage than
downfield, but he plays fearlessly and has the disruptive skills to make plays on the ball when challenged (zero touchdown passes allowed in 1,103 career coverage
snaps in college). Overall, Gardner needs to continue developing his play strength, but he is a sticky bump-and-run corner with the athletic instincts to stay in
phase and smother receivers. Cincinnati hasn’t produced an NFL first-round pick since 1971, but that will soon change with Gardner.
