The Houston Texans would love to grab former Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner. Coach Lovie Smith spent time with “Sauce” after his pro day, and the club has also brought in the former Bearcat in as one of their 30 pre-draft visits.
The NFL draft can be unpredictable, and some mocks have the Detroit Lions taking Gardner before Houston even has a shot at him at No. 3 overall. Houston does have a No. 13 overall pick in Round 1, and they could miss out on Gardner if they decide to try to pick him up with their other first-round pick.
If the Texans miss out on Gardner, they can still find a cornerback who meets some of the criteria Smith is looking for.
According to Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus, former Appalachian State defensive back Shaun Jolly is the best tackler among cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL draft class.
A 5-foot-9, 179-pounder as the best tackler? Well, we relied on the data for this one and it wasn’t particularly close. Jolly made just over 100 tackles in his college career and missed only four. And he’s got better as his career has gone on, with only one miss in each of the past two seasons. That should bode well for him overcoming size limitations in the slot at the next level.
Smith clarified for reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on March 2 what he is looking for in a cornerback.
“I think like most people, in an ideal world, receivers are getting bigger and bigger, but if you can find a six-feet corner that is faster than most people, that’s pretty special,” Smith said.
Jolly won’t meet those expectations, but he has a decent shot to meet the other criteria Smith desires from his cornerbacks.
Said Smith: “We put a big emphasis on ball skills. To me the object of the defense is every snap is to score and take the ball away. We put a big emphasis on that, but we won’t try to bring anyone in, add them to our mix if they don’t like to tackle. We ask our corners to tackle. They have ball skills of course, but it still comes down to whether you can play man coverage a lot.”
Smith admitted it is difficult to find a six-foot cornerback who is a decent tackler with the ability to take the ball away. Nevertheless he is confident in the Tampa 2’s scheme and the work cornerbacks coach Dino Vasso will undertake to provide a formidable cornerback unit.
If Houston misses out on Gardner due to their addressing other pertinent needs, they can at least get a cornerback willing to tackle in Jolly.