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In his first season in the NFL, Sauce Gardner was a first-team All-Pro, and a Pro Bowler as he won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Now, the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is looking to take his play to another level by reeling in more interceptions in his second year.
During the Jets preseason finale, HBO’s “Hard Knocks” caught Gardner questioning why the Giants were throwing his way after two incomplete passes to wide receiver Jalin Hyatt while he was in coverage. Jets coach Robert Saleh then told Gardner that teams would stop challenging him once he began registering more interceptions.
“He’s right and Quinnen [Williams] said the same thing,” Gardner said. “I have to get more and I’m looking forward to this season. I’m looking forward to getting more opportunities like how the Giants gave me the opportunity and I have to make the most of it.
“If they throw the ball at me, I gotta make the most of the opportunity.”
Last season, en route to his excellent rookie season, Gardner recorded 75 tackles, two interceptions and 20 pass breakups. One of Gardner’s interceptions came during the 20-17 upset victory against the Bills in Week 9, with the other coming against the Dolphins in Week 5.
Against the Bills, Gardner helped contain Stefon Diggs most of the game. On the first play from scrimmage, Bills quarterback Josh Allen connected with Diggs on a 42-yard play with Gardner in coverage. However, Gardner helped limited Diggs to just four catches for 51 yards and zero touchdowns after that.
Even with his limited experience in the league, Gardner was recently voted the NFL’s top cornerback by a panel of nine Associated Press football writers. Gardner got six first-place votes, while Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II, Dolphins’ Jalen Ramsey and Packers’ Jaire Alexander received the other three.
Even with all his rookie success, Gardner wants to continue improving his game.
“Just having the mentality when the ball is in the air, it’s my ball and I have to catch it,” Gardner said, “Instead of just having the mentality like, don’t let my man catch the ball.
“That can be a blessing and a curse sometimes. I gotta find that sweet spot of going for the PBU [pass breakup] or when to pick the ball off.”
Breece Hall says Jets running backs “probably are going to be the best duo in the league”
In recent years, the running back position has become devalued around the NFL because it has become more of a passing league.
But don’t tell that to Breece Hall, as he believes the Jets could have the best backfield in the league this year.
“We probably are going to be the best duo in the league,” Hall said about him and Dalvin Cook.
“Me and him have really gained a really good relationship. He had an ACL [injury] the fourth year of his rookie year, so he knows exactly what I’m going through right now. So me and him talk all the time, me, him and MC [Michael Carter] always joke all the time.
It’s hard to argue with Hall’s assessment, as both Hall and Cook could be starting running backs on almost any other team in the league. But with the Jets, they will share the load, along with Carter, who is entering his third year in the NFL.
Last year, Hall appeared to be on his way to winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award as he registered 463 yards and four touchdowns in his first seven games. But a torn ACL against the Broncos last October injury ended Hall’s season.
The Jets are expected to be cautious with Hall as they know he’s a significant part of their future as he is less than a year removed from suffering the injury.
Lessening the load for Hall likely factored into the Jets signing Dalvin Cook to a one-year contract worth reportedly up to $8.6 million on Aug. 16. The Vikings released Cook on June 9 as they save $9 million of cap space, as he was scheduled to make $14.1 million in 2023.
However, despite his age, Cook, 28, has rushed for over 1,000 yards in four consecutive years. That includes last year when Cook finished with 1,173 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns.
When he visited the Jets before signing, Saleh gave Cook a worst-case scenario, in which he would just be standing on the sideline because Hall or Carter is having a great game or the passing game is hot. Saleh then thought there would be “no way” Cook would still want to sign with the Jets, but he still decided to sign with the team because of the belief that it can contend for a Super Bowl.
Saleh says he doesn’t believe Hall and Cook splitting carries will be an issue for either player.
“I would imagine the competitive edges, where they are going to feel like they are going to feel like they are the hot hand and are going to want to roll,” Saleh said. “I kind of like where the mindset is of the group, like just talking to Dalvin and you ask him and I feel like it’s in Siri like, ‘How many touches do you want?’
“‘Whatever we need to win the game,’ that’s the response. They just want to win football games and help where they can and I think it’s been a very selfless, it looks like a very selfless group so far.”
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Antwan Staley
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