163 overall cornerback in the 2019 247Sports Composite) to a Freshman All-American soon after that game. Be sure to keep it locked on All Bearcats all the time! A Senior Bowl participant with good length and top-notch athleticism, Fields has a number of traits the Patriots have drafted in the past at this spot. He also ran a 4.41-second 40 and has more than enough athleticism to play in any scheme. Height: 63 (98th) Weight:190 (42nd) ET, NBC). He's played gunner. In all likelihood, he'll go undrafted. He wasn't able to test prior to this year's draft so it's hard to compare his movement skills with others in the class, but if he slides to the Patriots -- whether at No. He also didn't check in with great agility numbers from a New England perspective (4.19-second shuttle, 6.98-second cone). He also has a boatload of special-teams experience to go along with all his work in both man and zone situations for the Huskies. Film study that week came easily. A former wideout, he only has two full seasons at corner under his belt so his technique is raw. Ahmad "Sauce" Gardnerstill vividly remembers his first career interception. His agilities were nearly a non-starter (4.37-second shuttle, 7.26-second cone), and they may make Armour-Davis an afterthought on draft weekend for a team like New England that needs its corners to change direction quickly. It shows up in his work as a defensive back, where he showed the athleticism to track deep targets down the field and the aggressiveness to hold his own against bigger players -- like Cincinnati's Alec Pierce, against whom he gave up seven inches and still held his own. He's arguably the most explosive corner in this class, even if his 40 time at the combine didn't come in as fast as scouts were expecting (4.52 seconds). But he's clearly a special athlete (4.44-second 40, 38.5 vertical, 10-2 broad) with excellent balance, and he should be taken in the top half of the first round. That's not-of-this-earth kind of stuff. Theres an opportunity for Gardner and the Bearcats to continue that rise over the weekend with Cincinnati traveling to play No. Watch him here locking down then-teammate Ja'Marr Chase in practice. That truly stands out. Now with the draft just over a week away, it's time for us to dig into the players who could help the Patriots continue to bolster what has become one of the most valuable positions in the game. It is one thing for a cornerback to mirror a conventional route, or even a double move, with change-of-direction skills. Lucas grew up in Arizona with Patriots wideout N'Keal Harry. And his burst popped as a return man and part-time offensive weapon, helping him earn the Paul Hornung Award as the country's most versatile player. He played man and zone for defensive coordinator Brent Venables, and he's a menace in run support. 3-Cone: N/A He does not have elite, track-level speed, so burners at the receiver position might be able to get open deep downfield, but the 4.41 40-yard dash at the Combine checked the box for him. Players like him dont grow on trees. 9 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m. 20-Yard Shuttle:N/A. He may miss a tackle here and there, and he may get a little grabby in coverage (seven penalties last season). Fantasy Football: Melvin Gordon Overlooked and Undervalued. His three-cone was 6.76 seconds and his 4.01 shuttle was an equally-impressive mark. Check. This year the Bearcats sit 10th. His 40 time was 4.44 seconds. In Notre Dame, the Bearcats have a similar opportunity against a traditional power. Despite being just a one-year starter and still having some football instincts issues to iron out, he'd be worthy of a first-round selection. He played right away for Cincinnati, appearing in all 11 games as a true freshman and snaring three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. That's Woolen, who logged a mind-boggling 4.26-second 40 time to go along with a massive 10-11 broad and an eye-popping 42-inch vertical during the pre-draft process. The kind of players Bill Belichick would feel comfortable inserting into his changing coverage schemes and his special-teams units. But if they want to play some Cover 3 looks with Devin McCourty as the post safety, Castro-Fields has the length and physicality to perform in those scenarios as well. The Bearcats entered the Top 25 the following week and havent left in the two years since. It was at his pro day where his athleticism truly shined, running an absurd 3.96 short shuttle and a 6.67-second three-cone time. We're talking 40 times in the 4.4s or faster, vertical jumps approaching 37 inches and broad jumps over 10 feet. 21 or even later than that if Belichick is able to trade back -- he looks like a snug fit for what coaches are trying to do on the defensive side of the ball in Foxboro. An Ohio State commit who ended up at Toledo before landing at Rutgers, Avery started nine games each of the last two seasons. While Adams may end up a priority free agent, he tested like a very strong athlete with a 4.46-second 40, a 4.06-second shuttle, a 41.5-inch vertical and a 10-10 broad. Take Gardner for example. En route to a national championship in 2019, Stingley was a consensus All-American and led the SEC in pass breakups and picks. Los Angeles Rams: DTR Sits Down With UDFA Jack Snyder, Los Angeles Rams: 10 USFL Players Who Make Sense To Sign. Comparison:For me, Sherman is the comparison. If the Patriots can get past his injury history (knee, hip issues in college) and him having just one year of experience as a starter, he could interest them late on Day 2 or early on Day 3. Sauce is a boundary corner that you can win with at the next level. One moment two years ago helped change the direction of the Cincinnati program. If that mentality turns into Lucas being a big-time special-teams contributor, the Patriots may be willing to take him with a Day 3 pick. A senior captain with time along the boundary and in the slot, Lucas is a competitive player who may play bigger than his size at the next level. Can be a starting CB2 for a team on day one and be a key component of a Cover 3 or Man heavy scheme. He ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at LSUs Pro Day. Los Angeles Rams: Kevin OConnell Breaks Down Staffords No Look Pass. Terrence Mitchell, meanwhile, has racked up starts with the Texans and Browns in recent seasons, but the Patriots continued to pursue more corner depth after signing him early in free agency. Nobody is going to be able to run over us, and we have athletes, Gardner said. Elite athlete? Lined up almost exclusively at outside CB on the boundary side of the field, so there are limited reps in the slot. Los Angeles Rams: Have We Seen The Best of Jalen Ramsey? What was that about friends of Belichick? He was a two-time captain. But when a receiver makes a more unexpected move, such as a vertical break in a scramble-drill situation, and you can mirror it the way Gardner does here? No small feat. The Patriots have added a pair of veteran corners with plenty of starting experience this offseason, but it'd be a stretch to say they're "set" at that particular position. Theyre 20-3 over that period and currently sit No. Editor's Note: This story was originally published in Octoberof 2021. Yet most big programs shied away from him because he weighed less than 160 pounds. Ever since that game I feel like weve got a lot of respect, and its only getting better.. And a good recommendation from the right person can go a long way with the Patriots, it seems. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Sign up for the Touchdown Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar continues our position lists with the NFL's 11 best slot receivers. But he was away from football in 2021, and it's unclear exactly how he'll look after that time off this coming season. Round Grade: Late 1st. If the Bearcats were pressing on the line, the receiver would run vertical. Remember: Change-of-direction ability matters to the Patriots at this position. He was a little slow on his short shuttle work at his pro day (4.21 seconds) and his three-cone was only a shade below seven seconds (6.98), but at his size those are numbers that even the change-of-direction conscious Patriots would be OK with. I like to be very aggressive, Gardner said. Good patience and mirror ability and hand usage in press coverage. Luke Fickell: 'Bryan Cook was the Most Underrated Player on our Team', NFL Defensive Coach: Ahmad Gardner 'Exact Opposite' of a Diva Prospect, Best and Worst Fits For the Bearcats' Top Prospects in 2022 NFL Draft, Luke Fickell: Myjai Sanders is 'Your Offensive Linemen's Nightmare', Multiple NFL Coaches/Scouts Spill Thoughts on Desmond Ridder, Bearcats Fall in Latest Way-Too-Early Top-25 Ranking, Pinging The Portal: UC Contacts Eastern Illinois Forward Barlow Alleruzzo IV, Report: Myjai Sanders is a 'Scout's Favorite' in the 2022 NFL Draft, Coby Bryant Picked in a Major Two-Round Mock Draft for First Time; Three Other Bearcats Selected, UC Football Adds Commitment From Three-Star Athlete Braedyn Moore, Report: Myjai Sanders Visits Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Lands Rob Phinisee in Transfer Portal, Corey Kiner: 'Why Come Closer to Home When I Could Just Come Home? Ahmad Sauce Gardner is one of the prospects competing for the top cornerback spot in a loaded class in 2022 NFL Draft. My freshman year versus UCF they said 185, and I was like, Dang, Im 185? I knew that was wrong, but it was good to see that on TV.. Pro Football Focus charted him with 397 press coverage snaps this past season, tops among cornerbacks. Stat to Know:If you want a cornerback in this class with press coverage experience, Gardner is your player. Thats why we excel. Perhaps Woolen can excel in that role if he takes to the coaching he's given at One Patriot Place. Arm: 33 1/2 Gardner uses his length extremely well, always keeping a hand on the receiver and maintaining ideal positioning. On this play against East Carolina, that ability was on display as he sinks under the corner route from the tight end in a Cover 2 scheme: Still, his strength is what he offers in man coverage, as well as how he plays in press alignment. He hasn't done it. Cincinnati finished the 2020 season ranked fourth nationally in yards allowed per play. It has been republished ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. Jones certainly doesn't have the size to align with No. Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more. Even the teams starting safeties are 6-foot or taller. Patriots Talk:Going deep on the Alabama products who could be Patriots |Listen & Subscribe|Watch on YouTube. A lot more calories and the dialing back of the too-rigorous, calorie-shedding training has helped Gardner jump to a legitimate 200 pounds. Jones may be the future slot corner in New England, with Jonathan Jones headed into a contract year. Gardner played about 75% press in his snaps last season, and the Bearcats played more single-high than any NCAA defense except for LSUs. McCollum had a difficult time sticking with top-end competition at the Senior Bowl, but he has physical tools that simply cannot be taught. He's unafraid to tackle. Most receivers they try to run away from it. That's been the thought for weeks now leading up to the draft, but it might not happen. The matchup is the culmination of years of progression, an opportunity for Cincinnati to prove to the College Football Playoff committee it belongs in the conversation. His size, length and footwork make him ideal to play on an island, isolated against a teams top receiver in press alignment. Check. 3-Cone Drill:N/A Does well squeezing a receiver to the sideline on an outside release when carrying them vertical. He has over 2,000 career snaps for the Blue Devils and graduated with a degree in public policy back in 2020. Simple. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. 21 overall selection if the Patriots are hungry for more talent at the corner spot. What Jobe lacks may be top-end NFL-caliber athleticism but he played with turf toe as a senior and wasn't able to test this offseason following surgery on his right foot. He also posted a 38.5-inch vertical leap and a 102 broad jump. What really stands out to me watching Gardner is his feel and technique for the position. Long and lean and annoying as hell in coverage, Gardner is what just about every team in the NFL -- Patriots included -- is looking for at corner these days. But when he saw Dillon Gabriel make his drop, Gardner knew he had a chance. High football IQ? Touchdown Wire's Mark Schofield continues our position lists with the NFL's 16 (!) They also rank 10th nationally with 10 takeaways, the most turnovers of anyone whos played three or fewer games. 40-Time: 4.41 You'll now receive the top Touchdown Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Can I interest you in another height-weight-speed freak? Hes outstanding in every way we grade football players. Were not going to let anybody be all fancy and pretty. ', Seven Bearcats Scheduled to Workout at Cincinnati Bengals Local Showcase, Recruiting Roundup: Four-Star RB Visits Cincinnati, Basketball Team Offers Georgia Guard, Desmond Ridder Comparing Himself to Titans' QB Ryan Tannehill in NFL Meetings, Former Bearcats Punter James Smith Signs With CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, Bearcats Highest-Ranked Group of Five School in ESPN FPI, Report: Over 10 NFL Teams Grade Desmond Ridder as a First-Round Talent, Cincinnati Offers Five-Star 2024 Center Somtochukwu Cyril, Luke Fickell: 'You Can't Leave a Legacy in a Few Years', Eight Bearcats Selected in Latest Seven-Round Mock Draft, Peter King: Desmond Ridder 'Likely' a First-Round Pick, Four-Star 2023 Guard Rayvon Griffith Places Cincinnati in Top-Five Schools, Bearcats Q&A: A Ball-Handling Discussion With Mika Adams-Woods. 7 in the AP Poll, the highest rank for the program in its 68-year history. RAS: N/A. Saban isn't the only Belichick pal with defensive backs in this year's draft class. Bench Press: N/A He had the frame at 6-foot-3 but looked like a strong wind gust might send him tumbling. If the Patriots end up playing more zone in 2022 -- something they're open to in the same way they were open to it for long stretches during the 2021 season -- McDuffie would be a perfect fit. The former (for a very brief period) Patriots defensive coordinator has a long history of sending defensive backs to Belichick and having them work out. Ceiling: Outside CB1 That you can win because of If the Patriots believe they can help him put it all together while he holds a core "teams" role, they could try to nab him late on Day 2. Good tackler? CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. LSU star cornerback Derek Stingley is No. He may also end up being drafted outside New England's range, but if he gets into the teens, it'd be worth Bill Belichick considering a move up. Weaknesses:There are not a ton of weaknesses to his game, as you might expect when discussing some of the top players in the draft class. We investigated just how much top-end athleticism matters in the secondary back in 2020 when the Patriots drafted Kyle Dugger in the second round out of Division 2 Lenoir-Rhyne. But, like Adams, he tested extremely well and checked all the hard-to-check boxes the Patriots often want. Avery won't be Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon or Logan Ryan. Outside of Saban, there are few trusted more by Belichick than Greg Schiano. @2021 - All Right Reserved. "Thats where were much different. When I got here, everyone was just talking about UCF this, UCF that, Gardner told 247Sports. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! He's much more a depth option than a go-to guy. That's what Joejuan Williams was drafted to do. It wouldnt be rational for me to have this much length and to play off coverage.. If you're coming from Nick Saban, you've got a head start at landing on this list. It's remarkable. With several potential draft picks scattered across the unit, including star edge rusher Myjai Sanders, the Bearcats have the second-highest pressure rate in the country, per PFF College. While he didn't test at this year's combine as he recovered from shoulder surgeries, he has what looks like elite speed and acceleration on tape. The front seven is no less rapacious. 1 targets at the line of scrimmage. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. With the fourth pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Cincinnati CB Ahmad Sauce Gardner. If he's viewed as a different player when fully healthy -- and the Patriots should get pretty good intel considering where Jobe's coming from -- perhaps Belichick ends up with a steal on Day 3 if he comes calling for Jobe. Since then, he's obtained a masters in management studies from Duke's Fuqua School of Business. He can play physical off the line as well, as he does here on this snap against Notre Dame where he is aligned on the left side of the defense: Perhaps my favorite snap of his from this past season was this play against Temple, where he covers the crossing route working left-to-right well initially, but his response to the sudden scramble-drill move from the receiver gets to his movement skills: On this play you see how Gardners technique keeping a hand on the receiver puts him in position to immediately flip his hips and stay on the receiver as the offensive player makes the sudden turn upfield. Gardnerhasn't allowed a touchdown in a 1,340 career snaps. (Just listen to last week's Next Pats for more on McDuffie's smarts.). How willing will Bill Belichick be to gamble on traits? He excelled in press coverage last year, allowing just 73 yards on 5-of-14 passing, per Pro Football Focus, which should give the Patriots some confidence in his man-to-man ability moving forward. Explosive. Designed and Developed by Downtown Rams. Usually they want players who can change directions with the best of 'em. Solid hip fluidity for a man that tall, but he is clearly a better linear athlete. 40-Yard Dash: 4.41 seconds (77th) Proof of concept happened a year ago when Cincinnati held Georgia to 24 points in the Peach Bowl. Gardner is, as PFF noted in their draft guide, a cornerback who was built in a laboratory to play press man coverage. CINCINNATI Will Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner be the first cornerback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft? At his size, those numbers are just about unheard of. 2005-2022 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Good tacklers. At that weight, Gardner has the ingredients to be the best press cornerback in the 2022 NFL Draft class. In press, Gardner is patient and rarely panics. No matter. Youre not going to be able to run away from us. Im not going to say were as talented as Georgia or were as talented as Notre Dame. He was a Consensus All-American and AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, and was named First-Team All-AAC all three years he started (2019-2021). Slender, long, physical, fast. Now, hes one of the best players in the country and a potential first-round pick. Like his teammate McDuffie, Gordon has experience in a variety of different coverage calls. While physical at the catch point, he can be overly aggressive and draw penalties, though he showed improvement and cut them way down in 2021. Even if the veteran Jones sticks around for the foreseeable future, the rookie Jones could help Belichick match up against the two undersized speed demons who now reside in Miami. A star two-way contributor for Detroit power Martin Luther King High School, Gardner had a spattering of Power Five offers (Iowa State, Kentucky, Indiana). If youre going to be able to win against our DBs, youre going to have to earn it. Stingley made a full recovery from a Lisfranc foot injury. Weight: 190 Mentality defines the group. There is no better fit for Robert Salehs defense in this draft class, regardless of position. Jobe is the second of Alabama's two starting corners in this draft class, and like Armour-Davis, his calling card at the next level may be in the kicking game. Here's another special-teams specialist for the Patriots to consider. Booth also appears to be an exceptional athlete on tape with strong ball skills. And if he makes a misstep in terms of his technique, he has rare speed (4.39-second 40) to make up for it. He played oodles of man coverage for the Bearcats under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, rarely being targeted (only 11 percent of targets in 2021, per The Athletic) because opposing quarterbacks and coordinators knew better. Broad Jump: N/A He's the prototype, but the Patriots won't have a crack at him as he'll likely be a top-10 pick. Hes long, physical at the line of scrimmage and has enough makeup speed to make plays in the rare instance hes trailing out of press. I think talent-wise were better than we have ever been since Ive been here, Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell told 247Sports Steve Wiltfong. He jumped the route and took that thing back for six to give Cincinnati a second-half lead it would never relinquish. He projects best to an outside role and has an ideal physical profile for the role. Or a big-bodied matchup weapon? Armour-Davis also has more than enough size and speed (4.39-second 40) to land here. Saban is so hands-on with his defensive backs, and Belichick so respects Saban's acumen, that it's hard to ignore corners and safeties coming from 'Bama. He's played in the slot and at safety. Why? Those numbers are indicative of real burst and NFL-caliber movement skills. But his length and balance and fundamental tackling ability -- not to mention the fact that he was a dependable kick-coverage player for the Crimson Tide last season -- help him land here. The length, movement skills and ability to align in press and stick on a receiver are the reasons why. But that's not why the Patriots would take him on Day 2. The Bearcats lost 24-21 that day, a loss Gardner said still sticks with the team. With a higher degree of stakes the playoff committee is watching Gardner is hopeful Cincinnati can make yet another early-October statement. Wingspan: 79 3/8 Former Patriots assistant Bret Bielema, now the head coach at Illinois, made it very clear just how much he respected Adams' accountability last season. Hes picked off seven passes while holding opposing receivers to a 4-in-10 catch rate. Plus, when Richard Sherman names you CB1, you have every right to be confident. But he's physical and can be disruptive to true No. While Cincinnati has had major recruiting wins during Fickells tenure three four-star recruits, including a top 50 prospect, were in the Bearcats 2020 class the majority of its roster is made up of developmental success stories. There's also a thought among NFL teams that Stingley is more versatile than Gardner and can thrive in different defensive schemes. But he's played in only 10 games the last two seasons as he dealt with injury, and there are some questions from evaluators as to his "want-to." Cincinnati lines up in man-to-man coverage 46.8% of the time, per PFF College, which is the fifth-highest rate in the country. Vertical Jump: N/A He entertained offers from a number of Power 5 programs, including Kentucky and Indiana, but signed to play for the Cincinnati Bearcats. This could be a smokescreen, but there's a real chance that Gardner falls out of the top five in large part because of Stingley's recent rise. He also has aligned all over the field as a boundary corner, a slot man and even a safety at times. His nickname Sauce was given to him by a youth football coach, reportedly due to Gardners love of dipping sauces. He has the ability to transition without false steps, which gets him to the football quicker than most even though he's lacking elite length (30-inch arms). Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Watch his play speed on tape -- whether defensively or in the kicking game, where he was a next-level gunner -- and there should be no concerns there. Though he's a tad thin, he checked just about every box for the Patriots with a 4.48-second 40, a 39-inch vertical, a 10-8 broad and a 6.78-second three-cone drill. And though he's not the first-round talent Harry was back in 2019, Lucas is an impressive athlete in his own right. He had 488 snaps on "teams" as a collegian, per The Athletic's Dane Brugler. Sound like a Patriot to you? If he's not, he'd be another player worth considering in a trade up by Belichick. But can the Patriots snag him, make the most of his rare frame (34-inch arms) and turn him into a tight-end eraser? Gardner went from a reasonably anonymous three-star recruit (he ranked as the No. Lucas racked up rare experience in the Pac 12, making 49 starts and playing in 53 games going all the way back to 2016. Over his career with the Bearcats, Gardner grabbed three interceptions in each of his three seasons on campus, and never allowed a touchdown pass. Three-cone times well under 7.00 seconds are the standard, as are short-shuttle times in the 4.10-second range. Bio:Ahmad Sauce Gardner was a wide receiver and cornerback for Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Michigan. Shuttle: N/A Quick. Hamstring and stinger issues had him miss time last season, and a quad strain coupled with double hernia surgery this offseason are the more recent problems for teams to sort through. The toughness required in that phase shows up defensively as well, where his nearly 33-inch arms and a feisty demeanor help him reroute his assignments and disrupt timing. Sure, if Malcolm Butler plays the way he did in 2020 then the Patriots will have a quality cover man on the outside. Gardner offers island cornerback potential, something that many teams are probably hoping they have on the defensive side of the football. If Stingley had entered the draft as a true freshman, there may be fewer questions about his ability than there are now three years later. The cornerback opposite Gardner, 2020 all-AAC selection Coby Bryant, is 6-foot-1, 198 pounds. 1 on some teams draft boards according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. He also recorded a 38-inch vertical and a 10-3 broad. 1 receivers on a regular basis. Match up Gordon's quickness with his willingness as a tackler, his discipline (no penalties in two seasons) and durability (played all 29 Huskies games the last three seasons), and you have one of the best fits for the Patriots at this spot.
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