[quote_left]Name: Melvin Gordon III
Age: 21
Position: RB
College: Wisconsin
Height: 6’1
Weight: 213
Grade: Late 1st – Early 2nd
Comparison: Jamaal Charles, Reggie Bush[/quote_left]
ATHLETIC ABILITY
Melvin Gordon is a great athlete who sets himself apart from the rest of the 2015 running back class through his athletic ability. He changes direction at the drop of a hat, leaving defenders slipping and grasping for air. His balance and coordination are great as well – not often losing his legs from under him – but you will see it happen; I would chalk it up to the turf though.
COMPETITIVENESS/LEADERSHIP
His leadership is evident by the entire offense running through him. The production he put up is ridiculous for any player, especially since he had an ineffective quarterback at the helm, which would normally hurt a runner. Gordon had a 10 game stretch of at least 120 yards and 1 touchdown each – if that’s not consistency then I don’t know what is. He’s very team-oriented and has been seen making some clutch blocks at the end of games to allow his quarterback more time.
MENTAL ALERTNESS
Like stated previously, the offense went through Gordon and if he wasn’t mentally alert, he would not have had that ability. He has good instincts for finding the hole and whether he should bounce the play to the outside or keep it inside.
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION
A very durable player throughout his career; it’s not often that you see this player come off the field or not take the field due to an injury. He has a great body to take a pounding and almost looks like DeMarco Murray body-wise, with a long slender frame. Gordon is one of the more explosive players when on the field, if not the most explosive player on the field, at any given time. He has the ability to take the ball to the house on every touch.
POSITION SKILLS
In order to play like Gordon does, you have to possess great skill for the position, which he has, but he isn’t perfect. I would like to see him become relevant at pass blocking, too. Gordon has some pretty horrific whiffs when it comes to pass blocking, which he’ll need to correct if he wants to be an every down back in the NFL. He also needs to work on his ability to find holes running inside; he is better when he bounces to the outside and finds open space. I didn’t watch him as a receiver often, but when running routes they were crisp, but more often than not, his quarterback just didn’t find him. Gordon is an elusive runner with great cutback ability, making him dangerous on the outside, but if he finds a seam on the inside he could be even more dangerous.
OVERALL
This kid is going to be a superstar in the NFL. He has the ability to do anything you ask of him – outside of pass blocking – which I believe will cause him to fall in the draft. I believe he can be a decent pass blocker in the NFL because of some pretty clutch pass blocks I’ve seen him make for his QB in clutch situations, but more often than not he loses form and whiffs. Still, he’s probably the most dynamic running back to enter the draft in a few years. I would love to see him used more in the passing game at the next level because he could be scary after the catch. Gordon has the opportunity to go in the top 10, or he could fall to the 2nd round; it’ll be fun to watch where he goes.
