Some players take a relatively easy path to the NFL. They play for private schools in high school, are heavily recruited by Division 1 colleges, and are highly touted throughout their college careers. They display their talents weekly on national television and are well known quantities long before they ever arrive in Indianapolis for the NFL combine.
Receiver Edmund Gates is not one of those players. Even so, he will likely be drafted in the top three rounds of the draft.
Gates wasn’t a highly recruited football player coming out of high school. In fact, Gates only played football his freshman year in high school. He was instead focused on playing basketball, and after high school went to Tyler Junior College to play basketball. However he was dismissed from the team after one season and went back to his home town and didn’t expect to pursue an athletic career any further. However, Gates ended up walking on at Abilene Christian University after his cousin, Bernard Scott (now with the Cincinnati Bengals), was recruited to play there.
It didn’t take long for Gates to make an impact at ACU. As soon as he stepped onto the practice field he began to demonstrate that his talents translated to football as well as basketball. While he was raw, his speed and coordination made him a force to be reckoned with throughout his career at ACU. Gates had an especially productive senior year, where he had 66 catches for 1,182 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Gates is a player who absolutely jumps out at you on tape. With 4.3 time in the 40 yard dash, as well as a 40 inch vertical jump, Gates was far more athletic than most of his competition, and he used that athleticism to consistently make big plays. He has the straight line speed to get behind NFL DBs, and the ability to out jump them as well. Because he has such little experience playing football, he will need to have solid coaching to learn how to harness that athletic ability to be successful at the next level.
The lack of experience is likely what will concern teams most about Gates. Without question he has the athletic ability necessary for the NFL. What he will have to show that he can learn to run NFL quality routes, as opposed to what he did at ACU, which was mostly just running to a spot or just outrunning a CB. However, he is farther along than ACU alum Johnny Knox was when Knox entered the draft in 2009, and Knox has adjusted very well in the NFL. If Gates works at it, it’s likely that he could be an even better pro than Knox.
Gates’ background could also raise some concern. His father spent 18 years in prison for murder, and Gates being kicked off the Tyler JC basketball team for unspecified reasons is an issue he will need to address in interviews with teams. However, by all accounts he has matured greatly over the last four years, and those issues shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It may also concern teams that he will be 25 years old by the time the 2011 season starts, which will limit his potential slightly.
Overall, Gates projects well to the NFL. His outstanding athleticism will allow him to make plays early in his career, and he has the potential to evolve into a solid #2 WR. Gates would be a solid second or third round pick for a team that can take their time and let Gates develop the way he needs to.
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