23 Facts About Sauce Gardner

Sauce Gardner played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected fourth overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft.

Sauce Gardner was born on August 31,2000, in Detroit, Michigan.

In 2019, his true freshman season, Sauce Gardner played in 11 games.

Sauce Gardner had 31 tackles and three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Sauce Gardner tallied 11 passes defended and eight pass breakups.

Sauce Gardner declared for the 2022 NFL draft following the season.

Cory Giddings of Bleacher Report had Sauce Gardner ranked as the second best cornerback among his position group.

Sauce Gardner is a feisty competitor with excellent coverage instincts and he has above average ball skills.

Sauce Gardner was the second cornerback selected in the draft and became the highest drafted cornerback in the Jets' franchise history, surpassing 2013 first round pick Dee Milliner.

Sauce Gardner was the first of three Cincinnati defensive backs drafted along with second round pick Bryan Cook and fourth round pick Coby Bryant.

Sauce Gardner earned the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Sauce Gardner started all 17 games as a rookie in 2022 and finished with a total of 75 combined tackles, two interceptions, and led the league with 20 passes defensed.

Sauce Gardner was selected for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games, joining Tariq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks as the only rookies selected.

Sauce Gardner won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and was named a first-team All-Pro, becoming the first rookie cornerback to achieve the honor since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

Sauce Gardner was ranked 23rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.

Sauce Gardner received an overall grade of 88.5 from Pro Football Focus as a rookie in 2022.

Sauce Gardner entered training camp slated as the de facto No 1 starting cornerback.

Sauce Gardner finished the season with 57 combined tackles, 11 pass deflections, and one forced fumble in 16 games and 16 starts.

Sauce Gardner earned Pro Bowl honors for the second consecutive season and was selected to be first-team All-Pro.

Sauce Gardner became the third defensive player and only cornerback in NFL history to receive first-team All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons in the league.

Sauce Gardner received an overall grade of 88.6 from Pro Football Focus in 2023.

Sauce Gardner finished the 2024 NFL season with 49 combined tackles, nine pass deflections, one interception, and one sack in 15 games and 15 starts.

Sauce Gardner received an overall grade of 70.2 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 47th among 222 qualifying cornerbacks in 2024.