Kyler Gordon NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 200lb
School: Washington
Kyler Gordon 2022 NFL Draft Profile
A Washington native, Kyler Gordon is and always has been an exceptional athlete. A standout all-purpose player, Gordon was acclaimed in high school, as both an offensive and defensive star, and drew interest from the local Washington, where he ultimately committed.
As a freshman, Gordon was a bit-part player for the Huskies. He only featured in four games, preserving a redshirt season. However, in 2019, Gordon’s role developed, featuring in all of Washington’s games and starting four of them at cornerback. Ultimately though, it was Gordon’s role on special teams that brought him to the fore for Washington; his prowess on teams eventually brought a defensive role, but he was a star on special teams, winning special teams MVP in 2019.
In the abridged 2020 season, Gordon continued to be an impact player on teams, again winning special teams MVP. However, it was that season in which he truly carved out a role on the starting defense. Alongside fellow corner and draft prospect Trent McDuffie, Gordon was named to the PAC-12 First Team, plying his trade as a powerful and assertive corner against both the pass and the run. In 2021, Gordon started all 12 games, a cornerstone of Washington’s defense, and rounded out his college career with the UW Excellence Award before declaring for this year’s draft.
Strengths
- Excellent tackling ability;
- Elite feel for low, cut-style tackling, or form tackling;
- Good sharpness in deep and shallow zones;
- Patient but sharp in off-man coverage;
- Ability and willingness to play the ball;
- Excellent against the run;
- Elite as force player in zone;
- Able to identify danger beyond own assigned zone;
- Solid man coverage skills;
- Good pursuit and recovery speed;
- Strong hands in the catch;
- Plays quarterback’s eyes well;
- Physically engages receiver;
- Violent hit power.
Weaknesses
- Allows some separation;
- Doesn’t have great fluidity in transition;
- Limited length;
- Rounds off coverage to prioritize tackling position.
Teams With Need At Position: San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders.
NFL Comparison: Desmond King II
Projection: High-to-mid second round
Bottom Line on Kyler Gordon
Kyler Gordon projects very similar to his Washington counterpart Trent McDuffie; the technical schooling they’ve received at Washington is evident, preserving the school’s reputation for producing excellent defensive back prospects. In fact, despite McDuffie’s first-round projection, Gordon might be the more schematically versatile of the two; although not possessing the elite instincts and sharpness of his running mate, Gordon has arguably better man coverage skills or, at least, has been used in such coverage more frequently that McDuffie. Furthermore, his tackling ability is very close to, if not the best in class among cornerbacks available at the top of this year’s draft.
He is less technically refined than McDuffie, although their shared education is clear in Gordon’s base. The mechanical aspects of his coverage will need work at the next level, but his ability to detonate on ball carriers from the perimeter means he can be an instant impact player in the NFL, especially given the rising prevalence of the lateral game in the league. Therefore, shallow zone schemes that allow Gordon the freedom to track and attack ball carriers will get the best out of him early on. Like McDuffie, he may initially see some deployment in the slot, where his stout and assertive nature will be exemplified without exposing him in space. Gordon will likely be one of the first players off the board in the second round of this year’s draft.
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