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The Detroit Lions are firmly entrenched within the process of trying to decide what to do in the 2022 NFL draft, and a big focus of the team is figuring out what players make the most sense to be picked, potentially second-overall.
While it might be true that the Lions are trying to shop the pick a bit, it’s also true that the team could simply elect to stay put and find a difference-maker for their future where they select. Who that player is has shifted in recent weeks, but an intriguing new name could be rising late in the process.
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A new ESPN mock draft put together by analyst and former league general manager Mike Tannenbaum had Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner rising all the way up to the second-overall selection of the draft, where he was quickly nabbed by the Lions. As for why, Tannenbaum explains that while Detroit went with cornerback Jeff Okudah high just a few years ago, they could be tempted by another player at the position to fortify their defensive backfield. That could be especially true if Aidan Hutchinson is already off the board.
“The Lions gave up the NFL’s third-best opponent QBR (53.4) last year and still need a corner. Gardner didn’t surrender more than 13 yards in a game or a single TD all season in 2021,” Tannenbaum wrote in the piece
With the team’s second first-round pick, Tannenbaum had the Lions picking quarterback Matt Corral, given the team’s need for a signal caller and also given Corral’s ability to give them a player who is fifth-year option eligible. Selecting a quarterback has been a popular mock call, so it’s not surprising to see the Lions going with that in his mock.
The selection of Gardner represents more of a curveball. While the Lions do need help in the backfield, he has not been linked to Detroit in the process thus far, nor has he been seen as a top-five selection up until now. Clearly, though, Gardner has some fans in the scouting community and the Lions could be a team that likes him given some recent developments, proving how intriguing this mock might be.
Lions Hosting Pre-Draft Visit With Gardner
Interestingly enough, this mock comes on the heels of some bigger news. The Lions have been revealed as a team that will be sitting down with Gardner in an interview. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the Lions are having a top 30 meeting with Gardner prior to the draft playing out. That shows the team’s interest in the prospect could be very legitimate, as is there desire to get to know him a bit better.
As is to be expected, the Lions are hardly alone in wanting to meet up with Gardner according to Wilson’s piece. He also has visits with New York Jets, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks planned in addition to a personal meeting with Houston head coach Lovie Smith and a previous meeting with New Orleans from his pro day.
Adding a bit of intrigue to the situation is the fact that Gardner is a Detroit native, which could only make his appeal for the team greater in the end, as well as Gardner’s possible interest in the Lions. Add it all up and it’s simply another name to remember this spring for Detroit’s needy defense. It’s more than possible this is something that could happen.
Gardner’s College Stats & Highlights
While playing for Cincinnati, Gardner was a sound player that has only managed to rise up draft boards relative to where folks thought he would be selected. The reasoning was his great production. Gardner put up 99 tackles and 9 interceptions with the Bearcats in college and showed a knack for not only intercepting the ball, but being in the right place at the right time. He also had 16 passes defended and scored 2 touchdowns in his career. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
Within the highlights, Gardner shows a good ability to pursue on defense and has all the hallmarks of a player who evolves into an elite cornerback once he gets into the next level with the right coaching.
Is it possible Gardner is a Detroit pick early in the draft? That could be on the table as this mock shows.
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