2022 NFL Draft: 3 Players Falcons should take with No. 8 pick
By Kathryn Rose
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner – Cornerback – Cincinnati
Although AJ Terrell is a solid lockdown corner, Atlanta still needs to address the opposite corner spot. To that end, they signed former all-pro Casey Hayward to be their opposite corner. But, Hayward is 32, and the Falcons could still need some help at that slot, given the accelerated move to four and five wideout sets in the professional game.
If Ahmad Gardner gets down to the 8th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Falcons would be unwise to let him fall any further.
Gardner is a big, physical, 6-foot-3 menace at cornerback. He sticks to receivers like white on rice, has great, fluid hip turns, and leaves nobody open. Against the run, he loves to get his nose in there and be a solid force player that bends a ball carrier back inside for little gain.
His athleticism is also absurd, as he can stop without any notice and start again. There are almost no holes in his game, and he will be an all-pro in two to three years.