Now that he’s a member of the New York Jets, cornerback Sauce Gardner is going to regularly face some of the best wide receivers the NFL has to offer. But which receiver gave the former Cincinnati defender the most trouble in college?
On Monday, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms revealed that he recently spoke to Gardner about hs opposition in college. Gardner admitted that the receiver who gave him the most trouble was Memphis wideout Calvin Austin.
The 5-foot-8 Austin was a two-time First-Team All-AAC selection for the Tigers. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Austin had back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards for the Tigers. He ran a 4.32 at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Suffice it to say, Steelers fans must be pretty happy with the pick if Austin already gives one of the top cornerback prospects in the NFL fits.
Chris Simms: “I talked to ‘Sauce’ Gardner the other day and the guy he brought up as the hardest to guard for him was Calvin Austin.” #Steelers #NFL
— Blitzburgh✨ (@Blitz_Burgh) May 2, 2022
While Sauce Gardner never allowed a touchdown from Calvin Austin, the footage shows that Austin gave him fits in their various meetings. This past year, Austin drew flags and got plenty of big plays against the newly-minted Jets cornerback.
The film from that game has created some controversy over whether Gardner’s size is an issue. At 6-foot-3, he’s one of the biggest cornerbacks in the NFL right now – perhaps too big to track the ball thrown low to smaller receivers.
We won’t know for sure until we see Gardner take the field with full pads on. But it’s going to be an interesting narrative heading into training camp.
Which wide receiver will Sauce Gardner struggle against the most in the NFL?
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