Sauce Gardner and Patrick Surtain II, arguably the two best cornerbacks in the NFL, will be on opposing sidelines when the Jets host the Broncos on Sunday. In July, Gardner was ranked the third-best corner in an ESPN survey of nearly 80 NFL coaches, scouts and executives behind Surtain and the Browns’ Denzel Ward. “It’s always great to have two guys like us on the field at the same time,” Gardner told the Daily News. “Obviously, Pat, he like that, you know. He is well deserving of what he just got paid. He’s a lockdown corner. “One thing about it that we have in common is we are always looking for ways to get better. Neither one of us is cocky or in competition with each other despite what the media says and despite what people always comment on. We have a pretty good relationship. I’m just looking forward to seeing him and Garrett [Wilson] compete, or him and whoever he lines up on and seeing him compete with our guys and I’m looking forward to competing with their group of receivers.” Gardner and Surtain first met after the Jets-Broncos game in Denver in 2022. Since then, they have occasionally kept in touch. During the 2024 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Gardner and Surtain exchanged tips on how each could improve their games. Sauce Gardner “They’re both elite competitors, strong at the line of scrimmage, elite football IQ in terms of understanding stems and route running ability and all that stuff,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “Both of them, if they get their paws on you, you’re pretty much dead in the route, but two elite players, two guys that are fun to watch, and really, in my opinion, luxuries to have when you can put those guys basically in zero coverage and let the rest of the team go play football doing something else it’s a luxury.” Although Gardner and Surtain won’t be directly competing against one another, they are often mentioned when talking about the elite cornerbacks in the league. Both players are competitive physical players who love to shadow and eliminate an opposing team’s top receiver. In addition to that, quarterbacks often will avoid throwing Gardner’s and Surtain’s direction because of how they blanket receivers. “I know both of us be like, ‘damn,'” Gardner said about not being challenged a lot by quarterbacks. “But when the times do come, we gotta make the most out of it.” Gardner is the only cornerback since 1970 to be named to the first-time All-Pro team during his first two seasons in the NFL. Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor and Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons are the only other defensive players ever to accomplish that. In addition, Gardner won the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and was named to two consecutive Pro Bowls. Gardner only has two career interceptions but has 32 pass break ups, which is the third most in the NFL since he entered the league. During that same time, Surtain has 23 and three interceptions. Pat Surtain II “Sauce has covered well. He’s been great,” former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said on a conference call with the media. “Obviously, being in a New York market helped. It helped [Darrelle] Revis. It helped Sauce. He’s incredibly worthy because he got them. He’s been named first-team All-Pro. It’s not because he hasn’t played well. But it definitely helped playing in a New York market and getting that focus on you and then playing well while you got the focus. “Guys like Patrick Surtain, for example, you’re in Denver, you’re in a different market. I honestly believe watching his tape and watching everything he’s the best corner in football, but there’s a debate when he’s not in a big market. There’s not a weakness in his game.” To honor his stellar play on the field, the Broncos signed Surtain to a four-year, $96 million contract extension earlier this month, with $77.5 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Gardner isn’t eligible for a contract extension until after the 2024 season. But it’s likely Gardner will surpass Surtain as the highest-paid cornerback when the Jets approach him about an extension. “I’ve been trying not to think about that stuff,” Gardner said. “As much as I be thinking sometimes, I be like ‘let me stop thinking about that.’ At the end of the day, we got something special here. I can’t always preach, taking it day-by-day, week-by-week, if I’m thinking about some individual stuff about myself. “We have a pretty group of guys and coaches, trainers, everyone here. I can’t take none of that for granted.” On Sunday, Surtain will likely be lined up against Garrett Wilson most of Sunday’s game. Against opposing team’s No. 1 receivers this season, such as Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf, Steelers’ George Pickens, and Buccaneers’ Mike Evans, Surtain has allowed a combined seven catches for 75 yards and no touchdowns. “First, with Pat, he’s such a great person,” Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who coached Surtain in 2022, said about him. “Just as how he handles himself, he’s a true pro. “Even when I was with him and he was younger, I guess not that much younger, but I mean, he was like a 10-year vet. Then you take his size, his speed, his strength. He doesn’t panic. He’s so confident in what he does, so he’s just a great all-around football player.”