Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) rushes for yards against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) during the first quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus Ranks Former Cincinnati Star Sauce Gardner Among Top NFL Cornerbacks

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bearcats on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 12:29 PM ET

No one better than Sauce Gardner.

Pro Football Focus writer John Kosko ranked his top 32 NFL cornerbacks recently and the former Bearcat checked in at No. 1 on the list entering his fourth season with the New York Jets.

Gardner wasn't quite as polished last season as he was during his opening two campaigns, but it didn't knock him from the top.

"Gardner’s 91.9 PFF coverage grade since 2022 leads the league," Kosko wrote. "He has forced a league-high 46 incompletions and allowed a league-low 0.60 yards per cover snap and 21.4% first-down-plus-touchdown rate over that span. Unsurprisingly, Gardner's PFF advanced coverage grade ranks first, as well. While he might not shadow opposing wide receivers at a high rate, he has excelled when asked to do so."

He checked in one spot higher than the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Patrick Surtain II.