Michael Gallup 2018 NFL Draft Profile

Michael Gallup 2018 NFL Draft Profile

When you hear talks about this upcoming draft and the discussion about the wide receiver position the three common names you hear are SMU’s Courtland Sutton, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley and Maryland’s D.J. Moore. What they don’t know is the kid that plays at Colorado State in the Mountain West Conference has the potential to be just as good as all three.

In just two seasons with the Rams, Gallup accumulated 2,690 yards, 176 catches and 21 touchdowns. He did that in just 26 games at Colorado State. This past season he gave the Rams his share of production, catching 100 balls and gaining 1,418 yards and seven touchdowns. He had four games with over 100 yards and two games over 200 yards in 2017. When you compare the stats to the three guys that many pundits have going ahead of him in the first round, Gallup has a comparable resume. He has more yards, more catches and more touchdowns than Moore in his three seasons at Maryland. And when you line up his last two seasons to Ridley’s and Sutton’s, he has more catches and yards than both receivers.

Gallup earned consensus All-American honors this past season with the Rams. He also was a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s best wide receiver. If you look at mock drafts, you’ll see his name being pegged as far as the third round.

Strengths

Physical receiver;

Proficient hand catcher;

Great at getting off the line and has an excellent jab/first step;

Plays bigger than his 6’1″ height;

Does well at catching balls in traffic and in double coverage;

Very skilled at using his body to shield opposing defensive backs away from the ball on slants;

Strong at getting separation, especially at the end of his routes.

Weaknesses

Did not play against a high level of college competition;

Struggled against the one team that pressed him, Alabama;

Needs to improve as a route runner;

Could improve his run blocking;

NFL Comparison: Anquan Boldin

Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts

Projection: Mid to late second round

Bottom Line

Gallup possesses undeniable speed and athleticism. He was very productive in his two years at Colorado State. He developed a knack for getting open and the stats bear out his ability. One concern is that scouts will not have much tape to watch him compete against elite level defensive backs. What little tape there is, (versus Alabama), is the least impressive of Gallup’s two years at Colorado State. He likely gets drafted mid second round to early third round based on athletic potential by a team that has the luxury of needing production from him right away and can spend the time refining his skills.