Adopt a Player: Josh Gattis, S, Wake Forest

[patchick]

Hi, my name is Josh Gattis. I was one of the leaders of the Wake Forest team that took the ACC Championship this season. If you don't mind me saying so, I'm one of the most accomplished DBs in the whole draft, and a pretty complete package. I don't get as much attention as some of the other safeties because I don't stand out in any one particular area, but I'm an experienced and well-rounded player. Give me a good home!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Measurables (Combine)
6'1 206
4.51
22
34.5
10'1"
4.27
6.72
Nothing spectacular, though he's generally described as a very good athlete on the field with excellent body control, strength and closing speed. (Note: performed combine drills with a strained quad.) State hurdles champion in high school. Solidly built athlete with good size for the position.

College Productivity
G-GS Tck TFL Sks Int PBU FR FF
2003 12-0 34 0 0 0 0 0 2
2004 11-11 71 3.5/17 1/8 2/43 4 3 2
2005 11-9 72 0 0 5/126 7 1 1
2006 14-13 82 5.5/8 0 5/0 8 1 1
Career 48-33 259 9.0/25 1/8 12/169 19 5 6


Analysis
Gattis is a terrific ball hawk from the safety position, as seen in his INT (12) and PBU (19) numbers. Analysts generally note his read-and-react skills and field vision, and praise his coverage and run support equally (a rarity). Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe says that Gattis "does what playmakers do and sees things that other kids don't." Absolute star on special teams coverage and could contribute there right away. (In a blog he wrote that he begged to return kicks or punts but the WR coach ran special teams and made returns a WR job.) Occasionally reckless; reports on his hitting and tackling are mixed, but 6 forced fumbles speaks volumes.

Excerpts from nfl.com:
"Capable of generating the acceleration needed to close on plays in front of him and has the flexibility and balance to make plays in lateral pursuit...Does a fine job of taking the plays from the board to the field. He is a hard worker with good training habits...Does a fine job of tracking the ball over his shoulders, demonstrating the balance and body control to come back for the off-target throws...In run support, he closes with good urgency to the ball and has a feel for the support lanes, taking good angles to get to the ball...Sees the field and gets a sharp break on the ball due to his ability to anticipate the quarterback ...

"Shows toughness to hit hard and wrap, but needs to stay lower in his pads to deliver better force behind his tackles...Plays with good urgency closing on the ball, but needs to use his hands better to protect his body when trying to sift through trash..."


Intangibles
In the Rodney Harrison mode, Gattis is reputed to be a gentleman off the field and a nasty SOB on it. He is a smart, vocal leader and well liked by his teammates. His college defensive coordinator called him "the most mentally sharp kid I've ever coached."

Links
NFL.com profile
Wake Forest profile
Rookiepedia
Gattis blog

[dryheat44]

do you think maybe we should put these into a sub-folder?

[patchick]

Originally Posted by dryheat44

do you think maybe we should put these into a sub-folder?

Yep, I sure do. Is that possible? I'm new to this whole "moderator" thing.

Will look into it...

[PATSNUTme]

Originally Posted by patchick

Hi, my name is Josh Gattis. I was one of the leaders of the Wake Forest team that took the ACC Championship this season. If you don't mind me saying so, I'm one of the most accomplished DBs in the whole draft, and a pretty complete package. I don't get as much attention as some of the other safeties because I don't stand out in any one particular area, but I'm an experienced and well-rounded player. Give me a good home!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Measurables (Combine)
6'1 206
4.51
22
34.5
10'1"
4.27
6.72
Nothing spectacular, though he's generally described as a very good athlete on the field with excellent body control, strength and closing speed. (Note: performed combine drills with a strained quad.) State hurdles champion in high school. Solidly built athlete with good size for the position.

College Productivity
G-GS Tck TFL Sks Int PBU FR FF
2003 12-0 34 0 0 0 0 0 2
2004 11-11 71 3.5/17 1/8 2/43 4 3 2
2005 11-9 72 0 0 5/126 7 1 1
2006 14-13 82 5.5/8 0 5/0 8 1 1
Career 48-33 259 9.0/25 1/8 12/169 19 5 6


Analysis
Gattis is a terrific ball hawk from the safety position, as seen in his INT (12) and PBU (19) numbers. Analysts generally note his read-and-react skills and field vision, and praise his coverage and run support equally (a rarity). Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe says that Gattis "does what playmakers do and sees things that other kids don't." Absolute star on special teams coverage and could contribute there right away. (In a blog he wrote that he begged to return kicks or punts but the WR coach ran special teams and made returns a WR job.) Occasionally reckless; reports on his hitting and tackling are mixed, but 6 forced fumbles speaks volumes.

Excerpts from nfl.com:
"Capable of generating the acceleration needed to close on plays in front of him and has the flexibility and balance to make plays in lateral pursuit...Does a fine job of taking the plays from the board to the field. He is a hard worker with good training habits...Does a fine job of tracking the ball over his shoulders, demonstrating the balance and body control to come back for the off-target throws...In run support, he closes with good urgency to the ball and has a feel for the support lanes, taking good angles to get to the ball...Sees the field and gets a sharp break on the ball due to his ability to anticipate the quarterback ...

"Shows toughness to hit hard and wrap, but needs to stay lower in his pads to deliver better force behind his tackles...Plays with good urgency closing on the ball, but needs to use his hands better to protect his body when trying to sift through trash..."


Intangibles
In the Rodney Harrison mode, Gattis is reputed to be a gentleman off the field and a nasty SOB on it. He is a smart, vocal leader and well liked by his teammates. His college defensive coordinator called him "the most mentally sharp kid I've ever coached."

Links
NFL.com profile
Wake Forest profile
Rookiepedia
Gattis blog

OK, should we grab him with #91 or will we have to move up in the third to get him?