Chris Godwin

Godwin left a positive impression on NFL Scouts his last collegiate game against USC in the Rose Bowl. He snatched nine passes for 187 and a pair of trips to the end zone. Three days after the performance he declared early for the NFL Draft. He was named the Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year, prior to playing in all 13 games as a true freshman at Penn State. His freshman season included three starts and joined a short list of receivers to eclipse 100-yards receiving in a single game for Penn State. Jimmy Cefalo, Maurice Humphrey and Jordan Norwood are the only three others to accomplish the feat. Garnering Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors the stage was set for Godwin to become a focal point of the offense moving forward. His true sophomore year, Godwin exploded on the scene with 69 catches, for 1,101 receiving yards and five touchdowns. It marked only the third time in school history a Penn State receiver reached 1,000 receiving yards, joining Bobby Engram and Allen Robinson. He blended beautifully into new head coach James Franklin's offensive system, leading the team in receptions and yardage in each of his last two seasons. Godwin came up 18 yards shy of reaching another 1,000 yard season his junior year. Consider that Penn State ran the football 116 times more than the previous season and passed it 13 times less plays into the equation his opportunities were condensed in 2016. STRENGTHS: One of the nation's most prolific pass-catchers, Godwin has a different set of skills to prosper in the NFL. Big body and frame, he shields the ball exceptionally well from defenders. He is a crafty route runner who does a great job setting up his defensive backs with stems and head fakes. Godwin shows no fear sacrificing himself in traffic to make a difficult catch. He possesses strong hands and really plucks the ball out of the air. The Delaware native, high points the ball and uses size to block out opponents. He likes physicality and is not afraid to lower shoulder at the end of his routes. WEAKNEESES: Marginal size and speed when comparing him the NFL measurables desired for the position. He lacks deep speed and will never be known as a burner. Relies on technique and toughness and that advantage may diminish with a jump to the NFL. Lacks the burst to get over on defensive backs and most catches are in front of the defense. Godwin is not real elusive after the catch. He'll fight for yards but he fails to accumulate missed tackles once he has possession of the football. IN OUR VIEW: Pound for pound one of the toughest receivers available. Godwin will not beat many other receivers in a foot race, but he'll run cleaner more precise routes to find the football. He possesses a skill set that may not be for every offense. COMPARES TO: Anquan Boldin, Detroit Lions: Twice last season the binoculars focused on Godwin against Pittsburgh and Ohio State and the comparison on those separate occasions resulted in notes mentioning Boldin and former Green Bay Packers receiver Sterling Sharpe. The qualities that helped make those receivers productive are the skills that Godwin possesses.