:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66587342/1178356319.jpg.0.jpg)
Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR
School: Liberty | Conference: Independent
College Experience: Senior | Age: 21 (will be 22 by draft)
Height / Weight: 6’4” / 223 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Round 3 or 4
NFL Comparison: DeVante Parker
College Statistics
Player Overview
Liberty moved from the FCS to the FBS between Gandy-Golden’s sophomore and junior years. In 2018, he was named the team’s Offensive Player of the Week after three of 11 games, and named to the All-Independent first team, ranking 14th in receiving yards per game in the country. After his junior season, he was pursued by ACC and SEC teams, but decided to remain in Lynchburg.
Before 2019, the team hired former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, who had recently coached top draft picks Evan Engram, AJ Brown, and DK Metcalf. During his senior season, Gandy-Golden caught 79 passes for 1,396 yards, placing him number four overall in the NCAA (just behind potential first round pick, Justin Jefferson). The feat also made him only Liberty’s second back-to-back 1,000 yard receiver.
Strengths
- Has an amazing catch radius and uncanny ability to elevate for balls.
- His strength and size aid his ability to block.
- Has great hands, making full extension and one-handed catches routinely.
- Uses leverage well against defenders.
- Built for a vertical offense.
Weaknesses
- Has difficulty breaking free of tacklers after the catch.
- Not particularly fast.
- Needs to improve his route running.
- Not his best when he’s having to change direction.
- Played against lesser talent at Liberty.
Let’s See His Work
How He Would Fit
The Redskins have a very promising, young receiving corps. Terry McLaurin looked like a bonafide WR1 last year, and will hopefully continue to improve as he has another year of work with his college QB, Dwayne Haskins. Steven Sims, the undrafted rookie out of Kansas also impressed in the slot last year, collecting 4 TDs in the final three games of the 2019 season. Hope remains that Kelvin Harmon could develop into a starter as well.
Nevertheless, the Redskins could use a big receiver (Harmon and Cody Latimer are currently the tallest, at 6’2”) with good hands to catch contested balls deep down the field. Gandy-Golden fits that criteria to a tee.