Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner was the highest-drafted defensive back in New York Jets history when he was picked with the fourth overall choice in the 2022 NFL Draft. Naturally, such a distinction comes with enormous expectations.
Gardner is incredibly tall for the position, standing at about 6 feet 3 inches and with a wingspan of just under 80 inches.
The quickest 40 time ever recorded at the Combine by a cornerback with Gardner’s height and length (at least 6-foot-2, wingspan of 79+ inches, and arm length of 33.5+ inches) is listed by Pro Football Reference’s Combine database.
The 10-yard split time Gardner recorded was 1.54 seconds, which placed him in the 57th percentile. Considering his stature, it’s still impressive, but it’s surprising that it’s much down from his 40-year-old level.
The player’s time to cover the first 10 yards of the 40-yard dash is known as the 10-yard split. Gardner has greater long speed (his top speed once he gets into his full stride) than immediate acceleration, as evidenced by the significant difference between the impressiveness of his 40 time and his 10-yard split. The latter 30 yards of the run were stronger for him than the first 10.
How fast is Sauce Gardner?
Gardner only took part in the 40-yard dash exercise at the NFL Scouting Combine. Gardner only needed that to leave an impact. His start-up time for the 40 was 4.41 seconds (79th percentile).