Former Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon hasn’t received a lot of press, nor has he been a popular conversation topic among analysts dating back to his high school days.
Gordon could very well be on par with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew.
Whether or not a team like the Titans, who could very well be in the market for a late-round quarterback prospect, take a chance on him and give him a true shot, will determine if we ever get to see him rise to a ceiling that’s probably higher than anyone has given him credit for.
Here’s a complete look at who Gordon is as a signal-caller.
Pros
Mike Leach, Gordon’s coach at Washington State, told me he thought Gordon’s 3/4 release was quicker than “nearly anyone in the entire league.” That’s quite the statement, but Gordon backs it up in his play.
Gordon’s pocket presence and field vision are equally impressive, and he’s got above-average arm strength. He feels pressure well, and gets the ball out in time.
In terms of intangibles, you couldn’t ask for much more from Gordon. He’s got a contagious sense of confidence, and left Gardner Minshew with no doubt he’d be able to take the reins and be someone the team could rally around once he went off to Jacksonville.
Gordon learned a lot of things behind Minshew, apparently also including these “sandlot instincts.”
Cons
We’ve only seen one year of Gordon in the starting position with the Cougars, and it’s going to take some time for him to completely develop as a passer.
Many have questioned what Gordon will look like outside of the Air Raid system, with some predicting that he won’t have success outside of it; although it’s really too early to be knocking him for that until he’s had a chance to function in a different offense — if he’s even asked to.
His size isn’t exactly impressive at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and we’d like to see him add some weight to his frame before he takes the field for an NFL team.
Biggest strength: Upper-body mechanics
Gordon has the quickest release in the class, and he’s also got the best upper body mechanics. You notice how he drives into his throws, and that all of his power is coming from his upper body.
Obviously this isn’t a totally positive thing, considering that Gordon’s footwork needs to improve and that could make him a more solid prospect overall if it were cleaner.
But you couldn’t ask for smoother upper body rotation, and he gets the job done consistently.
Biggest weakness: Footwork
There’s no arguing against the fact that Gordon’s footwork needs, well, work. It’s at its worst when he has to stand in the pocket and doesn’t see a way to escape.
Gordon makes a lot of flat-footed throws, and his throwing base looks out of whack at times.
Bottom Line
The ideal fit for Gordon would be with some rendition of the Air Raid offense he ran at Wazzu, but Leach laughs at the idea of Gordon being a system quarterback.
It’s going to take patience and Gordon is still rightfully considered a developmental prospect. However, the team who gets him is getting a quarterback with a special level of talent to work with and a player who could become a good long-term starter in time.
Expect him to go early on Day 3 of the draft, even though he may prove worthy of having been selected much earlier than that down the line.
