Chiefs Draft Prospects: Edmond Gates
We told you earlier that the Kansas City Chiefs worked out Texas Christian Abiliene Christian WR Edmond Gates and now we are going to take a deeper look as part of our Chiefs Draft Prospects Series.
Gates is listed at 6-0, 192 and is currently projected to go in the 3rd round by NFL Draft Scout. They have him ranked as the 9th best receiver in the draft.
Although Gates is not a very big receiver, he could be the big play threat the Chiefs have been searching for at WR since the departure of Andre “Bad Moon, Spiderman, Moron” Rison. Starting with his speed, Gates was the fastest receiver at the NFL Scouting Combine, turning in a blazing 4.37-40. He is quick off the line, demonstrates excellent body control and is a willing blocker.
His senior season he brought in 66 passes for 1,182 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 17.9 yards per catch. Seeing as he played at Abiliebe Christian, I think it is safe to assume he didn’t have a world class QB throwing to him, which makes his numbers even more impressive.
The knocks on Gates from the scouting reports I’ve read are few but they are enough to likely keep him in the 3rd round. Gates is a pretty raw prospect. He runs sloppy routes and is inconsistent catching the ball. Much like Dwayne Bowe, he’ll often real in the spectacular catch while dropping the easy ones. He will also be a bit on the old side coming out. Gates is 25.
This kid was being projected as a 5th or 6th round pick but after the combine he started getting a lot more attention. I was surprised to learn that Gates not only ran the fastest 40 at the combine but that he did so with a groin injury. The buzz continued at Gates’ Pro Day where 22 NFL teams showed up to check him out. He seems to be getting compared to WR Johnny Knox quite a bit though most scouts seem to think he is already better.
It seems that Gates has been able to shrug off any doubts scouts may have had about him coming from a D-II school. He may need some coaching up, but if he is sitting there in the 3rd round when the Chiefs get called to the podium, he might be hard to pass up.
I’m not sure how I feel about Gates. He seems to have really great raw talent but I also have a bad feeling he could have high bust potential. I feel like the offense, with Matt Cassel as QB, would be better with big, physical receivers like Dwayne Bowe. Still, I can’t argue the value of having a lightning fast receiver opposite Bowe that could stretch the field and open things up for him.
What do you think Addicts? What kind of receiver should the Chiefs go for? What do you think of Gates? (the receiver not the BBQ)