[MattC87]

Devin Gardner - College Football Recruiting 2010 - ESPN

ESPN eval...

Gardner is a prospect that after viewing for some time you respect his overall production level once you get past the fact that his methods more often than not are going to be very unorthodox and at times not pretty. He is a fantastic prospect athletically and looks great on the hoof. Is the ideal fit for the spread offense and a short controlled passing game that plays off his threat as a runner. He is a gifted player with his legs and can improvise and create positive plays when things break down. Initial quickness and ability to take off out of the pocket is excellent. He can cut, shows burst changing directions and could develop into a dangerous read-option operator. Gardner shows very good arm strength and when his feet are set he can drive the ball down field and shows very good RPM's on short and intermediate routes. He can fit the ball into tight spots and gets rid of the ball quickly for the most part. Has shown flashes of a very quick delivery when forced to dump the ball off in the face of the rush. However, for all his athleticism and arm strength, Gardner's mechanics need a lot of work. Fortunately he is blessed with height because he has a very low release point and is a side-arm passer that cradles the ball and tends to push it in his delivery. He must improve his overall footwork and set up as he rarely sets his feet and throws off his back foot way too much. This takes away from his arm strength and negatively affects his accuracy. When sound with his footwork, he can be a very steady passer, but when he seems unsettled or gets happy feet he becomes erratic. Overall, you have to be impressed with Gardner's measurables and athleticism. He can make plays and possesses a lot of raw tools. Like Vince Young there is probably only so much you can do with his throwing mechanics, but lots that can be done with his feet to help him become more conistent. He is green, but talented. Could also play another position.