The New York Jets struck gold in last year’s NFL Draft.
Not only did they land a pair of offensive cornerstones to build around in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, but they also might have found a generational cornerback in Sauce Gardner.
Gardner ran away with NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and looked like a veteran despite his lack of experience.
Now, PFF ranks him as the No. 1 CB ahead of the 2023 season, even ahead of the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Patrick Surtain II, Jaire Alexandre, Stephon Gilmore, Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, Jaycee Horn, and Jamel Dean.
The Top-10 CBs in the NFL, per @PFF_Sam pic.twitter.com/RoRAdtpsSA
— PFF (@PFF) May 31, 2023
To be considered the best at your position in just your second season in the league speaks volumes of Gardner’s impact and potential.
The second-year CB will be the staple of one of the most promising and dominant defenses in the league next season, and the Jets will have plenty to look forward to in 2023.
Now with Aaron Rodgers under center, the team won’t have to rely upon its defense as much as it did last season.
They’re finally a well-rounded, balanced team that can compete and find multiple ways of winning games week in and week out.
Gardner is a lockdown CB that proved to be able to shut down the best wideouts in the game on any given night, and having Rodgers on the other side of the field will only give the defense more freedom and liberty to take risks and dominate next season.
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