Willie Gay Jr. NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Kansas City Chiefs' Pick

LB Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State

STRENGTHS

—NFL-ready frame with good size (6'1", 243 lbs) and length (32⅝" arms); top-tier pure athleticism.

—Has a hitter's mentality; looks to mop dudes up when he strikes. 

—Ability to trigger is better than most when he locks on a target; hips drive slingshot-esque short-area burst and explosion.

—Good coverage awareness, which is enough to keep him on the field for all three downs.

—Core special teams player who will be a tone-setter for an oft-forgotten phase of the game.

Willie Gay Jr. Highlights

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WEAKNESSES

—Made only six starts throughout his career and missed eight games in 2019 for an NCAA academic violation.

—Frenetic play style that is less "fly all over the field with energy" and more "lack of control throughout his game."

—Fast feet that don't do a whole lot, particularly when filling downhill. 

—The football-playing version of when Scooby Doo tries to run; too many steps, no beneficial movement.

—Limited lateral ability to close windows, particularly because he fails to close the space and maintain hip relationship with the ball-carrier. 

—Flows too horizontally without pressing the distance and will leave himself with tremendously difficult angles to plays.

—Slow overall processing speed, likely due to limited starts; will need time to improve/develop before being thrust into NFL action.

OVERALL

Gay checks every box necessary from a height/weight/speed perspective. He has the requisite athleticism to be a three-down linebacker in the NFL. The primary question is why he wasn't a bona fide starter for the Mississippi State program. When he's locked in, Gay is an ideal weak-side run-and-shoot linebacker who can hit the snot out of ball-carriers with a one-track mind. 

GRADE: 75

PRO COMPARISON: Zach Brown/Elandon Roberts