Washington State Football: 3 reasons to pick Anthony Gordon in NFL draft

1. Complete control of the offense

The fact that Anthony Gordon only started one year and performed at the level that he did is an impressive accomplishment. Of course this shows that he is a talented quarterback, but it also shows he was extremely intelligent in the offense that Washington State was running. When you are on top of your game not only physically, but mentally, there is always a potential spot for you on an NFL roster.

NFL scouts know that Gordon will be able to come in and at the very least pick up an offense and add value to the quarterback room. Regardless if Gordon is ever able to become a starter, stay as a backup, or even make a roster, he has the intelligence and mental capacity to add valuable input into the quarterback room.

Fast forward this clip to the 4:15 mark. While this may look like a simple play from the initial view. Let’s look a little closer at it as it is a great example of knowing your offense, and making the defense pay when it is out of alignment or confusion on their assignment.

Washington State has shallow crossers, which is a staple in its playbook, the outside corner follows his receiver and the slot corner follows his receiver as well. One of these guys was suppose to be in zone. Since someone defensively messed up, Gordon was able to make a few-yard pass turn into a first down.

A few areas of improvement in Gordon’s game

Like any quarterback, no one is perfect and everyone has room to improve. Here are a few areas Gordon can improve to continue his development as a quarterback.

• More balanced throwing position: This is something that makes Gordon good, but at the same time can hurt him. He can throw from off balanced positions and multiple arm slots and can throw it with accuracy, too, however when he gets in trouble or throws an off ball it is usually to him being off balanced and off his back foot as well. This also leads balls to float a bit, which is dangerous at any level, but especially the NFL level.
• Continue to develop against top defenses (experience): As expected, Gordon’s two worst games of 2019 were against the two best defenses he faced, which were Utah and Washington. In both games, they scored only 13 points and he combined for one passing touchdown and four interceptions. This is where the experience factor comes into play. The more experience and game reps you get against top defenses, the better you get against them.

Overall, I think Gordon showed more than enough that he has what it takes to stick around at the next level. What role does he end up in? Only time will tell, but he has the tools and mental makeup to develop.