NEW YORK CITY- Melvin Gordon was a Heisman candidate for a reason. He ran for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns including the Big Ten Championship and Outback Bowl.
Gordon’s lowest rushing yard total for one game last year was 38 against Western Illinois. his best total was a NCAA record 408 yards against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He rarely posted dismal totals.
ESPN reporter Sean McDonough said, “No one at this level has run for as many yards as Melvin Gordon has today, here at Camp Randall Stadium. 408 yards and he did it in only three quarters.”
Should a NFL team go with conventional wisdom and pass on Gordon? Perhaps the better question is should teams pass on the Jerome Bettis, LaDanian Tomlinson, Jamaal Charles or Marshawn Lynch.
While teams and fans may caution against getting too excited remembering that Trent Richardson, who was an equally impressive candidate, failed to perform at a high level in each of his seasons. It’s important to remember Richardson was a major risk due to his injury history as was evidenced in his second season with the Cleveland Browns.
Gordon does not come with tat risk. Any team that struggled to run the ball or depended on an effective ground attack for the passing game should draft Gordon in the first round.
Teams that pass up on him could regret later on. He looks like an easy first round projection as he knows how to light up defenses.