Falcons land CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner in new mock draft

The Falcons have a need at corner, and they could potentially find a quality one to pair with A.J. Terrell in this year’s draft.

It’s no secret the Atlanta Falcons have a major need at the cornerback position, but this year’s draft class offers some quality options for the team to pair with A.J. Terrell in the secondary.

We’ve seen three different corners projected to Atlanta in recent mocks. First, it was LSU’s Derek Stingley that was the trendy pick. Then yesterday, Pro Football Focus mocked Washington’s Trent McDuffie to the Falcons.

Now, Luke Easterling of Draft Wire is forecasting Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner as the pick at No. 8 overall:

“AJ Terrell has quickly turned into one of the NFL’s best young corners, but the Falcons could still use an upgrade on the other side. They have plenty of needs elsewhere, but landing an elite cover man with Gardner’s rare combination of size, length and ball skills could be too much to pass up.”

This year’s corner class is extremely talented, however, analysts don’t seem to agree on who the No. 1 player at the position is. In Easerling’s mock, Gardner is the first CB off the board, and one of four selected in the first round.

We could realistically see as many as five corners taken on day one, it’s just unclear as to the order they will come off the board. Gardner and the rest of the 2022 NFL draft class can boost their stock at this week’s scouting combine.

Here’s a list of the players we know the Falcons have met with so far, including quarterbacks Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral.

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