With the news that Rashean Mathis is unhappy with his contract, the depth of the cornerback position has been brought into discussion. In all likelihood Mathis will return to practices soon and will play the 2010 season, but how much longer after that is indefinite.
The Jaguars traded away a 2nd round pick for the opportunity to draft Derek Cox in the 2009 draft and the initial returns appear to be worth the price as most fans expect Cox to be the starting corner for years to come. Beyond the starting duo of Mathis and Cox, the remaining cornerback spots are completely up in the air with Don Carey and Scott Starks as the frontrunners for the nickelback spot. The opportunity is there for an undrafted rookie like Josh Gordy to play well and earn himself a spot on the final roster.
At 5'11, 195 pounds Gordy is around the standard size of an NFL cornerback, although he is shorter than both of the Jaguars' starting cornerbacks, who measure in at 6'1 each. However, his 38.5" vertical jump more than makes up for it. Compare that to the first cornerback taken in the draft, Joe Haden, who also measures in at 5'11 but has just a 35" vertical.
When on the topic of measurables, the all important 40 yard dash time is always of interest and Gordy's 4.40 doesn't disappoint. After a lot of talk about slow 40 times Haden finally showed the speed expected of him by finishing at his pro day with a 4.43. In fact, the only combine measurable that Gordy didn't beat Haden in was bench reps in which he finished 2 reps behind Haden's total of 18.
The measurables translated on the field as he was an instant starter as a freshman at Central Michigan starting in all but 6 games over his career. The 6 starts he missed were due to a foot injury he suffered his sophomore year. In his 4 years as a Chippewa (fun to say, I know) Gordy accumulated 212 tackles and 10 interceptions. 2 of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns.
How those measurables and statistics translate to the NFL level isn't known for sure, but to earn a roster spot he'll likely have to prove that he is a better player on the field than Tyron Brackenridge, William Middleton and fellow undrafted free agent Chris Hawkins. Otherwise he'll be a developmental practice squad player.
Video Killed the Scouting Report
(Stick around until the 2:50 mark for game highlights)
Josh Gordy: By the Numbers
| Josh Gordy | |||||
|
Position 1: Cornerback |
Height: 5'11 | ||||
|
Position 2: Safety |
Weight: 195 | ||||
| Class: Senior | Age: 23 | ||||
| Bench Reps: 16 |
40 Time: 4.40 |
||||
Stats Overview
Tackles
Misc
Interceptions
YEAR
TOT
SOLO
AST
SACK
STF
STFY
FF
BK
INT
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
PD
2006
66
41
25
0
0
0
0
0
2
100
50.0
100
1
0
2007
56
35
21
0
0
0
0
0
4
19
4.8
15
1
0
2008
47
30
17
0
0
0
1
0
1
17
17.0
17
0
0
2009
43
28
15
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
1.0
5
0
0
According to the Experts:
Has good size and is solid in coverage. Wasn't challenged much. Shows some closing ability. Will come up and hit and has decent hands for the int.
Pros
Excellent pass coverage skills - uses hands well to check and guide receiver. Able to jam on the line and control larger receivers. Will make big hits. Good hands.
Cons
Has been hampered with injuries since sophomore year, missing several games in each of the following years. Not quite elite speed.