College: Stanford
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 275 pounds
Positives
Stack & Shed: One of the more impressive defensive lineman I’ve seen at this. Gardner is very adept at engaging with lineman and quickly disengaging with them so that he can make a play on the ball carrier. He’s quick off the ball and that allows him to get in a better position with lineman on run plays.
Starts: Not the greatest positive in the world, but still a positive. Playing at Stanford is impressive in its own right, but seeing time as a freshman and then starting your final four years is nothing to scoff at. Gardner started almost three full season (missing 6 games his senior year) on one of the better football teams, in one of the better conferences in the country.
Negatives
Measurables: Gardner is bound to be listed like a “tweener” type of player. He’s not big enough to play inside in a 4-3, and he doesn’t have the pass rushing ability for the outside.
He isn’t athletic enough to stand up outside in a 3-4, and he’s a little too light to play inside at the end spot. He won’t wow anyone with his 40, high jump, 3-cone, or any other measured drills. These will drag him down because teams will struggle to find the perfect spot for him so that he can succeed.
“Wow” Factor: Not a player that will ever make it on ESPN’s top 10 plays of the week, or even day for that matter. Gardner gets done the “boring” stuff, shutting down the run effectively and setting up others for the big plays. This won’t impress most people, but he’s not set up to be the impressive player.
Pass Rushing: Finishing his career at Stanford with 17.5 sacks is fairly impressive, especially considering he missed six games in his senior season.
A lot of those sacks can be attributed to being in the right place at the right time. Gardner played on a front seven that includes several draftable players. Gardner uses his hands well to rush the passer, but hardly ever creates pressure on his own.
NFL Comparison
Rob Ninkovich, New England Patriots
Like Ninkovich, Gardner will likely spend the first few years of his career adjusting and finding his niche on a team. Ninkovich spent four years in the NFL before he ended up on the Patriots. Before that he two seasons with the Dolphins, and two seasons with the Saints. Ninkovich is the type of player that shows up every week and does his job, but few know his name, including many Patriots fans. Gardner looks to have a similar presence, he won’t light up the box score, or make the highlight reels, but he’ll get done everything he’s asked.
Draft Outlook
Gardner is likely to be a mid-day three pick. He isn’t incredible impressive, and he’s also coming off a torn pectoral. Often seen as the third best defensive lineman at Stanford, Gardner has never played with the lights focused on him and playing in Trent Murphy’s shadow will do that. Murphy gets all the national hype and attention, but Gardner helped Murphy make a lot of those plays.
Best Fits
Gardner saw a lot of time on the inside battling with guards while at Stanford, but he could make a career as a left-end in the NFL. In the mold of a two-down defensive end that helps versus the run, and comes off the field so that an extra defensive back or pass rusher can come on. Gardner has the body type that he could fit in both 3-4 and 4-3 but, he has he draw backs to both.
A team that runs more of a hybrid defense and can move him around, but also a team that doesn’t need him right away is his best bet. The 49ers and the Bills are two teams that come to mind. Both have standout defensive lines and won’t need his help right away. Getting some time to figure out his role could be very important for the Stanford defensive lineman.