Top 10 Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft: No. 5 Anthony Gordon

2020 NFL Draft Prediction: Late First Round

Gordon is an exceptional deep passing threat that has tremendous upside. But many scouts and general managers will likely hold Washington State’s record as a mark against Gordon in the 2020 NFL Draft. They will also likely question how consistent Gordon will be in the NFL, considering he only played for one season in Wazzu.

While Gordon can throw to all parts of the field, he will need to learn how to acclimate to an NFL offense, where he will be asked to throw far less often.

Gordon is the antithesis of a game manager. He will need to be drafted to a team that will let their quarterback throw deep when there is an opening. Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to mind right away.

The Buccaneers have a strong stable of deep threat wide receivers that Gordon could take advantage of. Not to mention Arians is known to get the best out of his quarterbacks. I cannot imagine a place better for Gordon than in Tampa. But with several seasons of Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay, the allure of the deep passing quarterback savior may have worn out its welcome. The general manager there may want a more sure thing as his next quarterback.

The Chicago Bears would be a good fit for Gordon in the 2020 NFL Draft. If Mitch Trubisky doesn’t put up Hall of Fame numbers next season, the team is likely to look for another quarterback after 2020. They have an elite defense to keep the game close and they need a quarterback who isn’t afraid to take chances downfield.

Head coach Matt Nagy came to Chicago via the Andy Reid coaching tree. Reid has shown his system, West Coast with a twist of Spread, can be a Super Bowl winner with a deep passing quarterback.

But can Nagy learn Reid’s most important lesson from the last few seasons? Reid moved off of Alex Smith, a quarterback who consistently brought the team to the playoffs, but could not take the next step in that system. Bringing in Patrick Mahomes was one of the best decisions Reid has made in his football career and it has led him to his first Super Bowl trophy.

With a quarterback like Gordon running the offense, the Bears could put themselves right back in the conversation for NFC North supremacy, assuming the defense can hold up its end of the bargain. Gordon would need a coach who is patient and willing to teach him the more nuanced aspects of NFL quarterbacking.