Grading the Washington Redskins picks from the 2020 NFL Draft
Round 4, Pick 36: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
Antonio Gandy-Golden was a sleeper in this receiver class. Because of the excellent depth at the position, he made it to this point in the draft. But in a normal draft, there’s a chance that he could’ve been a Day 2 pick.
Gandy-Golden was insanely productive at Liberty. He totaled 79 catches for 1,396 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. It was the third consecutive year he had logged at least 69 catches, 1,000 yards, and 10 touchdowns. So, needless to say, he’s used to catching passes.
Granted, Gandy-Golden played against a lower level of competition at Liberty. But he did have six catches for 119 yards against Syracuse. Playing against BYU, he caught 10 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Versus Virginia, six catches for 60 yards and a score. So, he can produce against some of the Power 5 talent (or the better independents in the case of BYU).
Washington Commanders
Gandy-Golden has size. He’s 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He’s extremely athletic and by all accounts, he’s smart. He should be able to learn the playbook and the nuances of Scott Turner’s offense quickly. That will help the Redskins get him on the field quickly, and given his skill set, that should be a huge win.
The Redskins could use a big jump-ball red-zone threat like Gandy-Golden. He fits well with the more explosive playmakers in the team’s offense of McLaurin, Sims, and Gibson. Gandy-Golden is fast enough, but his main game is his size and ball-tracking ability.
For the next level, Gandy-Golden needs to improve his separation skills. If he can’t do that, he’ll have trouble fitting in at the next level. But that was the same issue that Kelvin Harmon had. And in his action as a rookie, he looked pretty good.
Gandy-Golden will challenge Harmon for the starting spot across from McLaurin with Sims in the slot. He could win it. But at the very least, he’ll be an excellent rotational player and a guy that can make plenty of plays in the red-zone for the Redskins. This was a great value that filled a need.