Draft Profile: Antonio Gandy-Golden

February 20, 2020 /
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Weight: 220lb
  • College: Liberty
  • Tape watched: Syracuse, Buffalo, UMASS (2018)
  • NFL Comparison: Dwayne Bowe

Pros

  • Combat Catches
    Antonio Gandy-Golden has excellent hands. He rarely lets balls into his body, and secures the ball quickly in all situations. Gandy-Golden is one of the top contested catch receivers in the 2020 draft class. He is extremely good fighting for the ball in the air and in tight-coverage.
  • Size/Body Control
    AGG dominated Big South Conference with his size and strength. A monster on the perimeter, Gandy-Golden boxes defenders out and has excellent control to find the football and stay in bounds. He adjusts well to poor throws, offering a huge catch radius for quarterbacks.
Great release to shed the corner’s jam, AGG keeps the corner away with his inside arm. The best part of this play however, is how Gandy-Golden jumps into the corner preventing him from a play at the football without using his hands to push off. AGG is elite at creating advantageous matchups in the air without pushing off with his arms and interfering with defenders.
  • Blocking
    AGG frequently drove cornerbacks out of plays. He seals run lanes well and is an impact screen blocker if he sets his feet and gets his hands on defenders.
  • YAC
    Gandy-Golden is a beast with the football. He carries defenders for extra yards on most of his catches when he can turn and run. When he can keep his legs and feet clean from contact, he is a force to bring down.

Cons

  • Speed
    Even on deep routes, AGG struggled to pull away from corners and safeties. He has a second gear after he can run in space, but rarely does he have free releases and opportunities to show off his speed. If he runs at the combine, he can really improve his draft stock with a time in the low 4.5’s.
  • Lateral Agility
    Antonio Gandy-Golden has very little “wiggle” in his hips. A very stiff runner, AGG struggles to move laterally and create separation without using his hands or body to push off defenders. He has quick feet that help put defenders off balance, but his long legs and flexibility make quick cuts difficult.
  • Separation
    If Antonio Gandy-Golden can transition his ability to win 50/50 balls and his dominance at the catch point, separation won’t matter in the NFL. AGG doesn’t have the elite burst or agility to create natural space in his routes. He relies on his strength and hands to lean on defenders and bully them off of him, which is plenty if he can win in the air and on the boundary like he did in college.
One of the biggest concerns I have with AGG is his ability to get pressed out of play reads. When AGG doesn’t win the hand fight during his release, corners showed they were able to keep hands on him and significantly affect his route stem.
  • Route Tree
    Gandy-Golden was a true X receiver in college, and as a result was a pure matchup-beater. AGG ran streaks, hitches, and back shoulder routes almost exclusively, with posts and screens sprinkled in ever so often. AGG had a strong Senior Bowl week where he was able to display his versatility in route running and showed he can win in multiple route schemes, however.

Overview

Antonio Gandy-Golden is truly one of the best receivers in the draft at the catch point, especially through tight coverage. He is an immediate option in the NFL in redzone opportunities due to his size, strength, and catch radius.

Playing in the Big South Conference at the FCS level, AGG rarely saw NFL-level cornerback talent. Questions remain if he can separate and be more than a boundary receiver that wins with athleticism. This draft class is full of tall, big-bodied, huge catch radius receivers, so Antonio Gandy-Golden will need to find a way to stand out from the rest.