Russ Lande
http://www.russlande.com/2012-mock-draft/
ATHLETIC ABILITY
GRADE – 8.0
Gordon has excellent athleticism for a 6’4 / 220 pound receiver. Despite just an adequate initial burst off the ball after two or three steps he gets to full speed and has the playing speed to get deep separation easily. After he catches the ball he displays VG quickness turning and getting started up the field. He gets to full speed fast and has the strength and balance to run through contact easily. Unlike many tall receivers, Gordon has soft, natural hands to pluck the ball and get it tucked away fast. Gordon’s raw athleticism enables him to be productive despite needing to improve his route running and consistency.
HANDS / ABILITY TO MAKE TOUGH CATCH
GRADE – 7.5
Gordon’s natural hands show up in his ability to pluck the ball away from body easily, even on off-target passes, without having to break stride. On deep passes he makes it look easy making the “over the shoulder” catch – Does not have to slow down to make tough grab. Consistently tucks ball away quickly after catching it, which enables him to hold onto the ball consistently when he gets plastered right after the ball arrives.
ROUTE RUNNING
GRADE – 5.5
For Gordon to take advantage of his physical talent and shine in the NFL he will need to improve his route running. He lacks explosiveness off the ball and tends to run his routes upright. However, once he gets moving he accelerates to full speed in a flash and can run by cornerbacks to easily get separation deep down field. He uses hand and shoulder to subtly push off cornerback and create some separation on routes that require slight cuts. He has not been asked to run many of the routes on the “route tree” in Baylor’s offense, so he no doubt will need to work on running sharp precise routes; especially those that require sharp cuts like “out,” “dig” and “curl” routes.
RUN AFTER CATCH
GRADE – 7.5
Gordon’s combination of size, strength, balance and playing speed enable him to consistently make plays running after the catch. On quick hitting passes behind the LOS he gets started up the field fast, attacks crease and has a little wiggle to avoid tacklers running after the catch. His strength and balance make it easy for Gordon to run through arm/grab tackles to consistently gain yards after contact. Unlike many big receivers, Gordon has the elite speed to out-run angles to take plays the distance – See the 94 yard TD vs. Kansas. He must wrap-up the ball better with both hands while running after catch to avoid fumbling – In the four games graded he fumbled three times.
RELEASE OFF LOS
GRADE – 5.5
In order to take advantage of his acceleration and playing speed at the NFL level, Gordon will need to improve initial quickness off the ball. He has a bad habit of picking up the heel on his back foot at the snap before driving forward, which slows his release. He will have to anticipate the snap better, drive off ball and run with better bend and body lean in order to release well vs. air in the NFL. He has the size, long arms, playing strength and foot quickness to defeat cornerback jam once he improves technique and gains experience.
BLOCKING
GRADE – 6.5
Gordon does a good job of making good initial block on defender, stays over feet and maintains block to eliminate man from the play. At times he gets a little over-extended and loses block, but that is the exception.
TOUGHNESS / BODY TYPE / DURABILITY
GRADE – 6.0
Baylor’s offense did not ask Gordon to catch passes heading into traffic in the games graded. However, he consistently displayed toughness catching quick hitting pass behind the LOS right before being hit and always held onto the ball. Despite his obviously excellent height and VG playing strength, he looks thin below the waist and could use some added weight to maintain durability in the NFL. His durability is a complete question mark as he only played one full season where he was a big part of Baylor’s offense (2010) when he caught just over 40 passes, so he will need to prove he has the innate toughness to be a durable NFL receiver.
STRENGTHS
Gordon’s ability to pluck the ball, turn up-field and make big plays running after the catch give him the talent to be a big play-maker in the NFL. While his route running definitely needs work, his ability to use his strength (Hand and shoulder) to push-off defender to create some separation will help him produce while he does so. He has naturally soft hands and is able to reach out and pluck the ball with surprising ease. He can reach behind or ahead of him to pluck ball without having to slow down and is able to get started up the field very quickly after the catch. His ability to find the hole/crease quickly after the catch, hit it fast and run through arm/grab tackles are what help him to make big plays. He consistently turns quick passes behind the LOS into 10 yard gains and first downs. Gordon’s elite playing speed allows him to easily get separation deep down the field and to out-run angles to score long (30+ Yard) TD’s. For a player with his physical talent and play-making ability, he surprised me with his willingness, effort and production as a blocker.
WEAKNESSES
Gordon was on the verge of being a highly productive college receiver after a 40+ catch sophomore season. However, he was dismissed from Baylor due to violations of team rules and sat out the 2011 season when transferring to Utah. So no doubt there are some real questions about Gordon’s maturity and decision making. In order to succeed in the NFL, Gordon will need to prove he has matured while also improving his route running, initial get off and protection of the ball running after the catch.
BOTTOM LINE
After sitting out the 2011 season when transferring to Utah, Gordon applied for entry in the 2012 Supplemental Draft. While he no doubt would have been a much higher pick had he not had off-field issues, he is still going to be drafted higher than expected in the Supplemental Draft than most expect. Off 2010 film he showed better hands and run after catch ability than Kendall Wright who was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Gordon definitely needs to improve his route running, but in terms of pure physical talent he is very gifted and has the talent to be a highly productive NFL receiver. Overall, had Gordon played at Baylor in 2011 he likely could have come out early and been a first or second round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Now he is likely to be drafted by a team in the third or fourth round at the latest because of his upside and potential. [hil]Based purely on film evaluation Gordon is a better prospect than Brian Quick and Stephen Hill who were both second round picks in the 2012 NFL Draft.[/hil]
