After the franchise-altering trade of Russell Wilson last month, the Seahawks hold a top 10 draft pick for the first time since 2010. Who might the Seahawks target with that No. 9 pick? In the countdown to the April 28 draft, we’ll profile the prospects who seem to make the most sense for the Seahawks in the first round.
Today’s pick: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190
Position: Cornerback
College: Cincinnati
40 time: 4.41 seconds
Notable: 33-1/2-inch arms
Career highlights: As a junior in 2021, Gardner helped Cincinnati to its first College Football Playoff appearance, and he allowed just three catches (on four targets) for 17 yards against Alabama. A first-team All-American, he never allowed more than 18 yards passing in any game during the 2021 season, according to Pro Football Focus. In 33 career games, he didn’t give up a single touchdown in coverage, and finished with nine interceptions and 17 pass breakups.
Background: A Detroit native, Gardner was a three-star recruit in high school and didn’t have scholarship offers from either of his in-state Big Ten schools (Michigan or Michigan State). He didn’t play defensive back until his junior year of high school and weighed just 160 pounds as a senior.
Why he might be a good fit for the Seahawks: Gardner has the size, length, speed and confidence — oh yes, a lot of confidence — to draw comparisons to a guy Seahawks fans know well: Richard Sherman. If Seahawks evaluators feel similarly, Gardner ought to be the obvious pick for Seattle at No. 9.
It’s a perfect match, really.
Gardner is the archetype of what Pete Carroll prioritizes in a cornerback — the size, the length, the speed and — oh yes — all that confidence. In life after Russell Wilson, Carroll has made it clear he wants to again build a dominant defense — and getting a true lockdown cornerback who excels in press coverage, a la Sherman, would be a great place to start. And the Seahawks could use another cornerback after losing D.J. Reed in free agency to the New York Jets.
Scouts and draft analysts seem to agree that Gardner is capable of stepping in immediately as a CB1 as a rookie. One key question about the Seahawks’ chances of drafting Gardner: Will he still be available at No. 9? Some draft analysts predict Gardner could go as high as No. 3 to Houston.
Why he might not be a good fit for the Seahawks: When have the Seahawks made the obvious pick during the John Schneider-Pete Carroll era? If the Seahawks are targeting a cornerback with their first pick, one option could be to trade back — acquiring more draft capital, which we know they love to do — and selecting someone like Washington’s Trent McDuffie or Clemson’s Andrew Booth.
It is worth noting that Schneider and Carroll have never drafted a cornerback in the first round in their 12 drafts together. Their highest-drafted cornerback was Shaquill Griffin in 2017 — in the third round (90th overall).
Fun fact: Gardner got his nickname from a youth coach at age 6 — “A1 Sauce Sweet Feet Gardner” was the original, according to a Yahoo Sports profile.
Prospect quote: “I’m the best player in the draft. … People call me cocky, but God knows how humble and confident I am, and how much work I put in to even be able to make that statement and that’s all that matters. The position I play takes a lot of confidence and sometimes, cockiness.” — Gardner on Twitter (@iamSauceGardner)
Scout’s quote: “I thought he was very good, but I didn’t know how good he was because nobody ever really went at him. We didn’t want to. We put a (chump receiver) over there the whole game and never looked at him. He’s imposing. His parameters are elite in terms of his size, range and speed.” — Anonymous college coach, via The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman
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