Patriots add some “Sauce” in 2022 NFL mock draft
21. New England Patriots: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
Year after year, the New England Patriots have one of the better defenses in the league and that was the case again in 2021. There was a lot of credit given to Mac Jones who led them back to the playoffs this season as a rookie but the young quarterback was successful largely due to the defense keeping them in games.
With Jones not being asked to carry the load, the offense was able to just play smart football and it led to a lot of wins. And while the Buffalo Bills knocked them out of the playoffs and claimed the dynasty was over, they weren’t taking into account that this roster is just getting started.
Here, they continue to build their defense up as they take Ahmad Gardner from Cincinnati. Adding another cornerback could lead to them moving on from J.K. Jackson who has been a superstar for them. But the Pats have shown in the past that they are willing to let the big-name cornerbacks head out in free agency and they simply bring in their next guy who plays just as well.
Even if they keep Jackson, this move would make sense as they could build a dominant secondary that can keep up with the Bills receivers as they try to get back into the top seat in the NFC East.