So I want to just put in writing my VERY early thoughts on one of the most intriguing athletic offensive skill position players I've seen in a while.
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This cat I'm telling you right now is special...last year due to injury stole a chance of him going into the draft and I think, we may be looking at the second coming of an elite Jimmy Graham or Travis Kelce type TE with a touch more grit to him.
The crazy thing is he is as at home split out detached from the OL and standing in the slot as he is with his hand in the dirt tucked inline. When detached from the line, his size + footwork+release+hips make you think of guys like AJ Brown or Mike Evans....when he is inline you'd swear you're watching a young Jimmy Graham or a prime Kelce type guy. He is not as swift as Musgrave, but if Luke continues to in my opinion be less of a TE than Kraft - I think there is a world where a pick like Gadsen in the 2025 draft makes a TON of sense...
- The bottleneck of contracts coming for the WRs AND Kraft and Musgrave running on same contract schedule make you think of creative ways to mitigate potential weapon losses when you have to decide to sign Watson or Doubs...or let them both walk if Reed and Wicks and company show that as an option...
- We have never had a guy with this pure of ability as a WR and as a TE...Musgrave is the closest type of guy we've had, but his routes rely more on his speed than his footwork, hips or route tree...Gadsen is a true route runner with feet of a WR and a body of a TE...and while a guy NOT purely one or the other likely not being a top 10 pick....I could easily see a world where Gadsen sneaks in as a late first round pick which is where we hope to be.
For those wondering on his history....2022 was his big breakout year, that sophomore year Gadsen put up 61 receptions / 975 yards (16.0 Avg) / 6 TDs...last year was stolen by injury but he has hit the ground running already just two games in amassing 13 receptions / 201 yards (15.5 avg) / 3 TDs. He is a redzone threat of all redzone threats without the factor defenses have no clue where he is going to be, playing a factor in their personnel decisions...
This season he has 45 snaps Inline and 54 in the slot and even 5 out wide...
In 2022 his big season he saw 82 inline / 501 in the slot / 148 out wide / 18 in the backfield
When you hear prospects talked about that are that TE that can slot out....it isn't a normal thing. For Gadsen he is a WR that can be slid inline as a TE and he is a TE that can be shifted out to the slot or wide truly.
I predicted a 75 catch / 1,100 yards / 12 TDs season.....and everyone noticing him in a big way...he hasn't disappointed at all through two weeks.