Jets CB Sauce Gardner vs. Giants WR Malik Nabers: ‘We’re All Competing’

Gardner’s take on Nabers’ game: “He’s nice. He’s very sudden when it comes to getting in and out of his breaks. I know this might sound kind of weird, but he reminds me of an LSU receiver, a little Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. I’m not going to compare him to anybody because at the end of the day he’s Malik, but those are two guys he reminds me of a little bit. He’s going to be a really good player.”

Jets head coach Robert Saleh also had a positive scouting report on the Giants’ No. 9 before practice.

“He’s “dynamic, an elite competitor. Freaky, freaky,” Saleh said. “You could argue he could’ve been the No. 1 receiver [in the draft], but he’s a very special talent, a special mindset, and the Giants definitely got a really good one.”

The Green & White, of course, also have a good one heading toward great in Gardner, who, like all veterans at all positions all around the league, has gotten used to using these combined practices as his preseason games — the Jets’ work with the Giants was their third different opponent in a joint practice the past three weeks — while possibly getting no reps in any of the three actual summer games.

But that’s fine by Gardner, who put these big workouts to the best use possible.

“Going up against the Commanders, the Panthers and even the Giants, they all had a pretty good group of receivers. They’ve been getting me right in the joint practices and being able to compete,” he said. “I think teams around the league, players and coaches, they respect our defense, and that never makes us relent. We know the group that we have, and at the end of the day, we’re going to attack practice whether it’s against a different-color jersey or the same-color jersey.”