Elite Athleticism
Gay’s elite athleticism is, for the most part, why he was drafted. Whenever he kicks it into high gear, you can just tell he is different. From the linebacker perspective, you cannot measure some of the most important intangibles; instinct, preparation, mental understanding of the game, etc. What we can measure, though, is the athletic profile of these players, and Willie Gay almost quite literally tops the charts.
High, and no I don't think they do. Narrowly hits their size requirements for ILB, but with his flags and tape I doubt they bit where he could go.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 8, 2020
He posted an elite #RAS with good size, elite speed, elite explosiveness, good agility at the LB position.https://t.co/riJUv8Xp6D pic.twitter.com/LgBqhCFHhx
Relative Athletic Score, or RAS, looks to take the combine/pro-day numbers of players and score them in a way that show the athletic profile of a player. As you can see here, Gay’s RAS score was almost all completely “good” or “elite” traits, and the only thing he was even faulted for was his height.
Gay has elite speed, but also good agility. This allows him to cover more ground, which is essential to playing linebacker in today’s NFL. You need to be able to not only run sideline to sideline to keep up with freakish running backs, but you also have to be able to hold you own against slot receivers and elite receiving tight ends, especially with Darren Waller in the division.
From a pure athletic standpoint, Gay has all the tools in his bag necessary to not only produce but thrive at the NFL level. He will never be too outclassed as an athlete, which will be essential for his growth. The team needs to feel comfortable that he can hold his own on all three downs for Gay to make the most of his opportunity. Based off of his athleticism alone, he can more than do that.