We continue our look at potential quarterbacks the Chicago Bears may take in the draft, and we are focusing on Washington State’s Anthony Gordon.
Anthony Gordon is hoping to build off the similar success that Patrick Mahomes has paved the way. Largely believed that the air-raid style of offense would not transfer over to the NFL, Mahomes proved everyone wrong and is on track to a Hall of Fame career. Might the Chicago Bears hope they can find a comparable route for Gordon?
Last year at Washington State. Gordon put up stupid numbers for the Cougars, throwing for 5,579 yards while completing 71.6 percent of his passes and averaging 8.1 yards-per-attempt. He also boasted a 48-to-16 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Combine Comparisons
At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Gordon is on the smaller size for NFL quarterbacks. While he’s taller than the likes of guys like Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, he weighs less than both. He didn’t participate in any of the drills at the NFL Combine, but his measurements have him in the same category as Case Keenum (6-1/208) and Marc Bulger (6-2/208).
Strengths
Anthony Gordon has a terrific touch on all his passes. He lacks the same zip that fellow mid-to-late rounders – like Nate Stanley and James Morgan – have, but it’s also not a concern, for me, going forward. Watching his film against Washington in the Apple Cup, he does a great job of reading through his progressions without locking on a particular receiver.
I was impressed with his ability to lead receivers downfield, and he gets everyone involved in the offense. Gordon nearly produced two 1,000-yard receivers in Brandon Arconado and Easop Winston.
Washington State liked to run bubble screens and quick passes to their running back. As you can see in the video below, he does an excellent job pump faking to the bubble screen, which caused the cornerback, slot corner, and the linebacker to all bite freeing up Renard Bell over the middle.
Weaknesses
I do worry about Gordon’s transition into an NFL-style offense. While predecessors in Mahomes and Kyler Murray have proven success, Gordon’s footwork leads to some sloppy throws. But I believe it’s correctable at the next level. As noted, he’s rather small and may be asked to add some muscle to his frame.
Because of the offensive formation at Washington State, a lot of his throws came off his back foot with odd-looking dropbacks like in the video below. I also question his ability to keep plays alive with his feet as he looks rather sluggish moving around.
Evaluating a Potential Fit
Gordon is likely to be taken in the fourth round of the draft, and without a selection there, General Manager Ryan Pace would need to move up to get him. The alternative would be to trade down from the second round with the hope of netting a third and potentially a fourth-rounder in exchange.
Given the playmakers that the Bears have in Tarik Cohen, Allen Robinson, David Montgomery, and Anthony Miller, I think Gordon could be successful in Chicago. A year of learning the Bears playbook, improving his footwork, and adding some weight would do wonders for him.