Sauce Gardner is widely considered one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, often shadowing the opposing team’s best receiver. That list typically includes Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. But Gardner says neither is the toughest cover of his career; instead, he names one of his former teammates as his hardest matchup.
Sauce Gardner Names Garrett Wilson His Toughest Cover in the NFL
Gardner, the fourth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, spent the first three and a half seasons of his career with the New York Jets, emerging as a foundational piece of the team’s defense before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts midway through the 2025 season.
Gardner, the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler, has matched up against nearly every elite wide receiver in the league. However, he says none have tested him more than former teammate Garrett Wilson, whom he faced regularly in practice and considers the toughest receiver to guard.
“I probably say Garrett Wilson, my ex-teammate,” Gardner told ESPN’s Kevin Clark. “Decisiveness, like, a lot of people, it was hard for people to see all that he can do, because he don’t always get the same treatment, like he’s not just getting put on the island all of the time.”
“Obviously, sometimes, but a lot of times it’s teams that defense playing two-high and it might be a double because the safety leaning and they don’t think the other receiver on the other side can get open against man with no help, so you know, but he’s very decisive, like it’s hard to predict what he’s going to do, so you just got to react. And sometimes by the time it’s time to react, it’s too late,” Gardner continued.
Wilson was selected 10th overall in the same 2022 draft and went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons despite instability at quarterback, before an injury limited him to just seven games in 2025.
Wilson’s smooth yet sudden athleticism, combined with his attention to detail and natural instincts at the catch point, makes him extremely difficult to defend. Before the catch, he creates separation with explosiveness, sharp footwork, hip fluidity, and nuanced route deception.
At the catch point, he wins with body control, elite ball tracking, and strong hands. After the catch, he adds value with twitch, elusiveness, and urgency.
Wide receivers who can create at all three levels and do so decisively present a significant challenge for any defense. According to Gardner, Wilson embodies all of those traits. Now on a four-year, $130 million extension, Wilson remains a cornerstone of the Jets’ offense, and the franchise’s future at wide receiver appears secure with him in place.
