While Washington’s John Ross grabbed all the headlines with his record-breaking forty time, it was actually Penn State’s Chris Godwin that may have quietly had the best all around day. Ross’ day was cut short by cramps, while Godwin completed and excelled in almost every area. He had the fifth best 40 time amongst wide receivers with a 4.42. He was second amongst wideouts with 19 bench press reps. He had the best 20-yard shuttle time (4.00). He looked smooth and comfortable running routes and natural catching the ball with his hands.
The only other receiver to rival Godwin in his all around performance was East Carolina’s Zay Jones. Jones would also be a great pick for KC but he was also viewed as a higher rated prospect than Godwin coming in to the combine, so his performance was less of a surprise.
When you put on Godwin’s film you see a compete wide receiver. In other words, the tape backs up his Combine performance. He has enough speed to test a defense deep. While the speed is nice, I really liked his ability to track the ball in the air on deep throws. He runs nice routes and isn’t afraid to go over the middle and make contested catches. He catches the ball with his hands and doesn’t let it get into his body most times. He had several “double clutch” catches but it was usually because there was a defensive back contesting the catch or because the quarterback didn’t put the ball where it should have been.
When you see Godwin on tape you aren’t surprised he put up 19 bench press reps. He’s a powerful looking wideout who looks like he’ll hold up to NFL caliber punishment. He’s a willing blocker who can easily overpower smaller defensive backs.
If the Chiefs are looking for a wideout in the third round (or maybe earlier after his combine performance) that could contribute right away, Godwin would be a good fit. He can play inside or outside with the speed to go deep and the size to go over the middle. I can also see him as a key special teams contributor early in his career. Chris Godwin had a fantastic showing at the NFL combine and I think he’s be a great hit in Kansas City.
Next up, a complete package at running back.