Anthony Gordon 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Anthony Gordon 2020 NFL Draft Profile

He certainly isn’t a household name among this year’s draft prospects such as Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. But Anthony Gordon getting to this point as someone on the radar of NFL scouts certainly points to a great deal of self-belief. Gordon was a relative unknown in recruiting circles among 2016 high school prospects, with Washington State being the Pacifica, CA native’s lone scholarship offer after a year at City College of San Francisco.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that he redshirted during his first year in Pullman. But even after that, seeing starter reps would come as a significant challenge over the next two seasons with Luke Falk (2017) and then Gardner Minshew (2018) taking the reins behind center for the Cougars. But he stayed with the program rather than entering the transfer portal, got his big shot last season, and ran with it. He finished 2019 as the only FBS quarterback to average over 400 yards per game, was second in touchdown passes behind Burrow, and closed out his college career by throwing for 351 yards and three touchdowns against Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Strengths

quick and efficient release;

fairly accurate when given time to throw;

does a good job leading receivers on crossing routes;

exhibits decent poise when the pressure converges onto him;

impressive ability to anticipate where his receivers will be downfield;

scans the field and cycles through progressions fairly well;

off the chart stats in his lone season as Cougars starter.

Weaknesses

will get the undersized label from many scouts;

arm strength isn’t high end among this year’s quarterback prospects;

inconsistent footwork tends to him making throws on his back foot;

not particularly mobile in the pocket;

could get overwhelmed by interior maulers and speed rush on the edge;

has a tendency to resort to check-downs;

just 14 games of college starting experience.

NFL Comparison: Logan Woodside

Projection: fourth to fifth round

Bottom Line

Gordon burst onto the scene in a very short time period, emerging as the Pac-12’s most prolific passer in 2019 despite not having started a single game prior to last year. He displays poise in the pocket, boasts a quick release, and, as his 70+ percent completion rate shows, delivers passes to his teammates with accuracy. Those are qualities that make him an intriguing developmental project.

But his lack of experience is a legitimate concern. It means that he has a rather steep learning curve when it comes to breaking down the highly advanced defensive concepts at the next level. His arm strength also won’t wow the NFL talent evaluators which could inhibit his value as a home run hitter. Gordon will need a few seasons to develop. But he has enough potential to suggest a team will nab him in the latter half of the draft.