2020 NFL Draft: Willie Gay Jr. scouting report

Film Analysis

Despite only playing in five games last season, Gay’s natural abilities were able to make an impact on the Bulldogs defense in 2019. In this section, we will review what he has shown on film and what impact that will have on his 2020 NFL Draft stock.

Coming out of high school, Gay specialized as an outside linebacker. But at Mississippi State, Gay was used much more fluidly. Besides playing on the outside, Gay would play as a weak side and middle linebacker for a majority of a game’s snaps.

Besides being an effective pass-rusher, Gay was also utilized in coverage, shutting down the seams from tight ends and in-breaking receivers. Gay would play a wide variety of defensive packages on the Mississippi State defense and it is encouraging to see him being utilized as a bit of a swiss army knife in the front seven.

NFL defenses typically use a wide variety of defensive packages and his experience in college will give him a leg up in the league. When it comes to linebackers in the 2020 NFL Draft, this year’s class is pretty light on talent. Many NFL teams will be taking a close look at Gay, as he has the experience many defensive coordinators are looking for in a linebacker.

One of the best things you see when watching Gay’s film is his delayed blitzes. Gay will often pace around behind the defensive line, eyeing up the offense, looking for weak points and planning his lane of attack. In several games, I saw Gay find which gaps were the most vulnerable and exploit these weaknesses with excellent results.

While only sacking the quarterback six times in three seasons may not seem like a lot, you have to take these numbers with a grain of salt. When watching Gay’s film, you see him bring pressure to bear on the quarterback several times a game. While not technically a sack, Gay was able to bring pressure upon the quarterback consistently when he pass-rushed, forcing the opposing quarterback to make ill-advised, early throws.

Gay would only pass-rush a handful of times a game in 2019, making them rare enough to be surprising but dangerous enough to be a threat to offenses. Sack totals are inconsistent year to year and it is easier to learn a pass-rusher skills based on pressures in a given season.

This requires a little bit of investigation, as getting pressure after two seconds is much more valuable than eight or more seconds. With Gay, his pass-rushing always jumped off the screen by how fast he could get pressure and throw off blocking.

Gay is a great tackler, something NFL general managers will also be intrigued by in the 2020 NFL Draft. Successful tackling rates have gone down in recent years across the NFL. Teams looking to make up for that loss will find an excellent tackler in Gay. In 2018, Gay only missed five tackles on 455 snaps, which is an excellent ratio.

When Gay can get his 32 ⅝” arms around a ball carrier, he has the strength and technique to bring them to the ground. Measuring in at 6-foot-1, 243 pounds as the Combine, Gay is an imposing run-stopper, able to bully running backs and receivers whenever he makes contact.

Gay’s biggest selling point at the 2020 NFL Draft will be his coverage skills. On film, Gay looks really fast, able to catch up with running backs and receivers who may have given him the slip. His Combine speed of 4.46 seconds on the 40-yard dash confirmed what his film shows: that Gay can be utilized as a sideline-to-sideline defender in the secondary on passing plays. An overall phenomenal athlete.

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Gay may be the fastest linebacker at 243 pounds. When playing in coverage, Gay is disruptive at the catch point. He attacks the hands and vision of the receiver, making him an effective pass-stopper. In 2018, he gave up zero touchdowns in coverage and averaged a passer-rating against of just 25.8.

There are still issues with Gay as a player, however. He doesn’t handle off-script situations well and looks indecisive at times. On multiple plays, he can be seen looking unsure whether he should blitz the quarterback or fall into coverage. This results in several plays where the quarterback effectively takes him out of the game, having Gay trip over his own feet, not sure whether to rush the quarterback or not.

His form when dropping into coverage is also a little weak. He doesn’t fall back quickly, requiring him to turn his back on the quarterback if he wants to get depth quickly. This is something that can be ironed out in the NFL with training and shouldn’t be a big deterrent when teams are considering him in the 2020 NFL Draft.