2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kyler Gordon

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Kyler Gordon, 6-0/200 Cornerback Washington

Kyler Gordon Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Man-to-man cover corner

Can run the route to prevent separation

Loose hips to turn and run

Can play off-man coverage

Disciplined; does not bite on double moves

Has flashed ball skills

Adept at timing breakups

Very athletic

Flexility to play any scheme, technique

Has twitchy athleticism

Recoverability

Burst to close space

Drives hard on routes, passes

Plays the ball well in air

Will get physical

Good run defender

Willing to tackle

Contributes to run defense

Weaknesses:

Might be limited to the slot

Could struggle with big receivers making catches over him

Could stand to get a little stronger

Only two interceptions in college

Summary: LSU and Florida have a running debate about which university is known as “DB U” but the Washington Huskies belong in that conversation as well. A couple of years ago the program, produced three second-round picks in a single draft, and that came after developing many other NFL defensive backs. Gordon and teammate Trent McDuffie will keep the early-round trend going established by the likes of Budda Baker, Byron Murphy, Sidney Jones and Kevin King.

Over the past few seasons, Gordon was a solid cover corner for the Huskies. He worked his way onto the field in 2019 to record 32 tackle and four passes broken up. In the shortened 2020 season in the Pac-12, Gordon notched 18 tackles, one breakup and one forced fumble. He was at his best in 2021, putting up 45 tackles, one forced fumble, two interceptions and seven passes broken up.

Gordon is a natural cover corner who possesses speed, quick feet, and agility. He is very fluid and does a nice job of running the route with receivers to prevent them from gaining separation. Gordon keeps his receiver from coming open and is quick to recover if they get a step. Gordon has nice hips to turn and run downfield with speed receivers. He has enough twitchy athleticism to break on the ball and drive down hard on wide receivers.

On top of his man-cover skills, Gordon is a disciplined corner who does not bite on double moves. He uses his eye discipline to skillfully read the receivers rather than displaying the vision issues that lead to falling for play fakes. Former Washington head coach Jimmy Lake was a defensive backs coach in the NFL, and he coached up the Huskies defensive backs well in terms of good fundamentals and technique.

Gordon flashed some ball skills at times in college. He is skilled to slap passes away and times his contact well. In 2021, Gordon flashed being a threat to pick off the passes after not recording a pick in 2020.



Gordon also is a willing run defender who will contribute to the ground defense and tackle. He fights off blocks, fires to the ball, and shows nice tackling technique for an undersized corner.

For the NFL, Gordon has the ability to be an outside corner as well as a nickelback. Some team sources question whether he can only fit at nickel, but others think he can play outside or inside. Considering NFL teams play nickel the vast majority of snaps and sometimes the entire game, the top-three cornerbacks are starters, so Gordon will become a starter regardless of him being inside only.

There are some projections of Gordon going in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. While that is possible, he probably is more likely to be a second-round pick.



Player Comparison: Kendall Fuller. Gordon reminds me of Fuller coming out of Virginia Tech. Fuller (5-11, 198) was a gritty corner who some thought was an inside corner only. Gordon and Fuller are almost identical in terms of size and style of play. I could see Gordon being a similar caliber pro to Fuller.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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