*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Speed Concerns Weigh Down Gandy-Golden
Updated Jan. 7, 2020By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Entering the 2019 season, Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden had a lot of buzz in the scouting community. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has mismatch size and was an impressive play-maker in his first season at Liberty. As a senior, Gandy-Golden was more productive, averaging 17.7 yards per reception over 79 catches for 1,396 yards with 10 touchdowns. While Gandy-Golden has earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, multiple team sources say they have graded Gandy-Golden in the mid-rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft because of speed concerns.
Three teams said they had Gandy-Golden graded as a third- to fourth-rounder, and one team said they had a second- to third-round grade on him. One director of college scouting said they loved everything about Gandy-Golden, but the concerns about him separating in the NFL caused them to have him on Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft. Thus, Gandy-Golden’s performance in Mobile and his 40 time at the NFL Scouting Combine are going to be very important. In order to rise, Gandy-Golden needs to show he can create space from pro cornerbacks and has quickness to get downfield.
The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded at wide receiver, so Gandy-Golden has little margin for error. If Gandy-Golden doesn’t run well at the combine and Senior Bowl, he could be in store for a real slide. Team sources really like him, but the speed concerns have Gandy-Golden with mid-round projections entering the postseason.
