Tag: Chargers Ahmad Gardner

Lost in the Sauce: Ahmad Gardner could complete Chargers’ cornerback room

The Chargers should have the complete cover man atop of their draft board come April.

One of the draft’s premier lockdown agents officially threw his name in the NFL Draft hat yesterday. Cincinnati junior cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner declared for the draft in a post to social media thanking his family, school, coaches, and fans before announcing his intentions to go pro. 

“The last three years have been incredible and I’m proud of what I accomplished at the University of Cincinnati,” Gardner wrote. “I’m ready to take the next step and compete in the NFL. I will be forgoing my final year of eligibility and entering the 2022 NFL Draft. I am a Bearcat for life. Thank you.”

Gardner, a consensus All-American, was unanimously chosen as the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. Logging 35 games and over 1,000 snaps at Cincinnati, Gardner never gave up a touchdown in coverage. In his final year, Gardner recorded 40 tackles, three interceptions, and four pass breakups as he all but cemented his status as one of the top prospects at his position. According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed 13 catches for 117 yards this season. 

What jumps off the bat when studying Gardner is his length. At 6’2” and 188 pounds, Gardner is a tall and lanky cornerback that will be able to match up pound-for-pound against some of the bigger NFL weapons immediately. His frame is well-built and he sports lengthy arms that he uses to his full advantage. In addition, Gardner pairs his extended limbs with long strides that help him keep pace with wide receivers.

Sometimes, Gardner’s length alone can eliminate throwing windows and force quarterbacks to search for other options when passing the ball. Even if Gardner is trailing his opponent in man coverage, he often shrinks the margin of error by resting his hand on the receiver’s hip or arm, allowing him to feel the route and anticipate the movements of his assignment. This tactic also creates the illusion that the receiver is less open than he truly is, either forcing the quarterback to abandon the read or spend valuable seconds in the pocket determining if he is able to make the throw.

One example of this is when Gardner is in man coverage on 2nd-and-10 against Notre Dame’s passing attack. His opponent dipped inside quickly on a drag route and quickly gained a step on Gardner as he headed across the middle of the field. Gardner stretched his right arm first, then followed up with his left arm as the Mesh concept finished. The move appeared to close the gap between the two players and made Gardner appear closer to the catch point than he really was.

Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan tracked Gardner all the way and even takes his hand off the ball as if he is going to make the short pass. But Coan deliberates too much as all of his weapons cross in front of him. He takes the open gap out of the pocket to his left instead, scrambling for five yards and safely out of bounds. 

Contact also drives Gardner’s game and he relishes every opportunity he gets to put his hands on the receiver and limit the effectiveness of their route. Gardner’s jabs in press coverage don’t not only re-route the player across from him but momentarily stun their momentum and can majorly disrupt timing. Gardner maximizes every inch of the initial five yards of contact and has great recovery when his hands are wiped away. That physicality continues throughout the entire play, as Gardner keeps receivers busy and causes them to focus on more than just accomplishing the route.

In this rep from 2020 against Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III, Gardner attacked the right shoulder pad off the line of scrimmage and challenged Austin to counteract his blow. Austin attempted to run through Gardner, whose hand remained glued to the shoulder pad as the receiver cut inside on the slant. This leverage allowed Gardner to stay in phase, transferring his hand to Austin’s hips as a check before he looked for the ball. 

Once again, Gardner’s length had an immense impact on the throwing window. The Memphis quarterback hardly glanced at Austin once he saw what little separation he had gained at the top of his stem and quickly moved on in his progression. This forced him to step up and avoid pressure from the left side, which hit home momentarily.

Gardner’s athleticism is impressive for his size and turns his hips around quickly and fluidly. He changes direction well and can adjust to match a receiver’s speed with good burst. While his long speed isn’t much to boast about, Gardner can get himself back in the play if he misses his swipes at the line of scrimmage. 

Another rep against Austin later in the game showcases how valuable these traits are for Gardner. Austin gave a split release inside and Gardner’s strike initially aimed for the center chest area ends up glancing off Austin’s upper arm. Gardner immediately went into pursuit mode and flipped his hips to close the lateral distance Austin generated. Gardner soared toward the catch point, towering over Austin as he rose up above the 5’9” wideout to knock the ball out of the air.

Gardner plays the position with an abundance of confidence. He has the mentality of a lockdown cornerback that is willing to line up against any player. Gardner has an appetite for competition and backs down from no challenge. This eagerness has transferred to a solid tackling form and strong support when helping stop the run. Gardner puts down ball carriers with gusto and consistently delivers on isolation tackles. 

While Gardner’s length is his biggest strength, it also limits his mobility. Even though Gardner’s footwork is sound and refined, he is a bit stocky carrying receivers downfield and plays the position upright. His stance isn’t the most flexible and his straight nature restricts the amount of explosion he can generate from his lower body. 

And, as one could guess from a cornerback defined by his physicality, Gardner can be over-aggressive at times. He can struggle to corral his opponent if he whiffs in providing contact at the line. Those scenarios have produced holding and pass interference penalties, even though Gardner has a good sense of how much prodding he can get away with.

Gardner projects as a boundary corner at the next level that can hold his own in man coverage. He has a tremendous feel in zone coverage and easily transfers from receivers entering his airspace. Combining Gardner’s flawless resume and attributes with the encouraging play of Asante Samuel Jr. would easily give the Chargers one of the top cornerback duos in the AFC West Conference.