Could QB Anthony Gordon Be Gardner Minshew 2.0 for the Chicago Bears?

Quarterback Anthony Gordon Bears draft

Getty Anthony Gordon had an impressive Senior Bowl performance. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Anthony Gordon, quarterback for the Washington State Cougars, stole the show at the Senior Bowl last weekend. At 6-3, 210 lbs., Gordon led the NCAA in completions (493) and attempts (689), and finished the season with a 71.6 percent completion rate. He was also second in the nation with 5,579 passing yards and 48 passing touchdowns.

Gordon broke predecessor Gardner Minshew’s record for most touchdowns in a game, tossing nine scores against UCLA this year, and he picked up where he left off last season when he had his opportunities in the Senior Bowl. Gordon went 8-12 for 69 yards and two touchdowns in the game, and he impressed a ton of sports media members — especially those who follow the Chicago Bears.


Could the Chicago Bears Draft Anthony Gordon?

Two of the Bears’ biggest needs in the upcoming draft that they must address are their offensive line and tight end, but they will also need to fill their quarterback room with talent, especially considering Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray will likely be playing elsewhere next season.

Gordon was originally projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick, but after his recent performance, his draft stock may have gone up, which is the right direction if you’re the Bears and you’re looking to bring in young talent.

Some media analysts who cover the Bears think Gordon would be worth taking, even if they may have to trade up into the third round to do so.

 

But is drafting Gordon an option or a good idea for the Bears?


Chicago Bears 2020 Draft Picks: How Many Picks Do They Have?

The Bears have two second round picks this year (43rd and 50th overall), along with two fifth round picks, two sixth round picks, and they have a seventh round selection, as well.

The team has enough potential draft capital that they could potentially can choose to trade up to the third round, especially if they utilized a pick from their 2021 draft. Gordon’s accuracy has been spotty on deep balls at times, but the Bears’ current quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, was also wildly inaccurate in spots this past season.

A little competition at the position could spark Trubisky — or it could result in Gordon winning the job flat out. His quick release is just what Matt Nagy’s system needs, and he was sacked just 20 times in his 680 attempts last year. Besides, it wasn’t just Bears beat writers noticing Gordon’s potential. Other NFL analysts noticed him in the Senior Bowl, as well.

Gordon was drafted by the New York Mets out of high school and he said at Senior Bowl practices his throwing abilities have been enhanced by his days as a pitcher. “My baseball background allows me to throw the ball from some unorthodox angles,” Gordon said.

Patrick Mahomes was also a pitcher once, and while it’s ridiculous to compare Gordon to Mahomes, Gordon could potentially serve as another version of Gardner Minshew, who played well in his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minshew played in 14 games this year, starting 12. He threw for 3,271 yards, (he went 285-470) while tossing 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. Trubisky, by comparison, went 326-516 for 3,138 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 picks in 15 games as the Bears’ starter in 2019.

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