Who is the best CB?
by Ken Fernando
On July 15, Sauce Gardner signed a contract extension for 4 years and $120.4 million with $60 million guaranteed. This extension makes him the highest paid cornerback in history. With the extension comes lofty expectations. This begs the question, is Sauce Gardner the best CB in the NFL?
The New York Jets drafted Sauce 4th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after a standout career with the Cincinnati Bearcats. He had a standout rookie season that immediately put him in best CB talks in the league. In 17 games, he had 75 combined tackles, 2 interceptions and led the league with 20 passes defended. He won every award imaginable such as First-Team All Pro and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Entering his second year, teams were more wary of Sauce as the ball was thrown less in his direction. Even if his stats went down, the reputation and winning awards remained the same. He received First-Team All Pro Honors.
Amidst all the success he had in his young career, 2024 proved to be his worst season so far. Riddled with penalties and mistakes on the field, Sauce’s production dropped and it was seen by many evaluators across the NFL. His PFF numbers put him near the top of cornerbacks but this is refuted by the same evaluators.
Cornerbacks are one of the most sought after positions in the NFL. Having a shutdown corner changes how teams play you. Sauce is deserving of the money because I believe he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the game. However, I put him more in the top 5 CBs only because of too many mistakes. 2025 will be exciting as he can show 2024 was a fluke and lead the Jets to a possible postseason berth.
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