April 29, 2017

Scouting report, bio and highlights for Eagles fifth-round pick Shelton Gibson

By Matt Mullin
PhillyVoice Staff

After the Eagles twice traded back in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft – first moving from pick No. 155 to pick No. 164 (and acquiring a sixth-rounder in the process), and then again from 164 to 166 in a deal with the Dolphins – they ultimately landed on West Virginia speedster Shelton Gibson.

The 6-foot wideout also returned kicks for the Mountaineers and has drawn comparisons to DeSean Jackson in terms of his raw speed.

"He's got ridiculous speed," one AFC South scout said. "He runs by people like they are standing still like DeSean Jackson used to do at Cal."

You can see for yourself in the highlights below. But first, here's a look at what you need to know about the Eagles new receiver:

WR Shelton Gibson

BIO

Born: March 20, 1995 | Cleveland, Ohio
Height: 6'0" | Weight: 198 lbs.
High School: Cleveland Heights High School (OH)
College: West Virginia

AWARDS/HONORS

2016 First Team All-Big 12 (AP)
2016 Second Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)

STATS

YEAR	GM	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2014	7	4	60	15.0	0
2015	12	37	887	24.0	9
2016	13	43	951	22.1	8
CAREER	32	84	1898	22.6	17

And a look at his kick return numbers at West Virginia:

Year	RET	YDS	AVG	TD
2014	13	250	19.2	0
2015	11	361	32.8	1
2016	29	633	21.8	0
CAREER	53	1244	23.5	1

SCOUTING REPORT

Here's what NFL.com's Mark Dulgerian had to say about: "Forget his 40-yard dash time, Gibson has big-time vertical ability. At this point, there is little development in the rest of his game but he should be good for some 'bombs away' moments early in his career."

Here's the scouting report on Jones, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

STRENGTHS Flat. Out. Fast. Has run-by speed on the go routes and can create immediate separation over the top against cornerbacks who overestimate their acceleration. Saw 36 percent of his catches go for 25-plus yards over last two seasons. Ball skills and hand-eye coordination are substantially better down the field than on the short routes. Finds the deep throw quickly and makes necessary adjustments to ball flight to put himself in the best position to make the catch. Fear of his speed creates open, unchallenged throws underneath against spacious cushions. Athletic and not just a tight-hipped, straight line runner. Explosive leaper who can climb the ladder and extend way up over his head to snare the errant passes and bring them home. Has immediate gunner potential and can return kickoffs.
WEAKNESSES Displays focus issues with his hands when working underneath. Had a case of alligator arms over the middle against Texas after taking a punishing hit a quarter earlier. Will need to learn to run more of the route tree and sharpen his skills as a route runner in general. Made a living on nine routes, posts, slants and curls. Gets to top gear quickly creating issues with excessive steps in his gear down into his breaks. Needs to do a better job of aggressively working back to the ball and scrambling with his quarterback into a catch-friendly area of the field.
SOURCES TELL US "He will end up being one of the three fastest players at the combine. He's got ridiculous speed. He runs by people like they are standing still like DeSean Jackson used to do at Cal." - AFC South scout
NFL COMPARISON Corey Coleman
BOTTOM LINE Gibson has good size and is an all-day field stretcher with blazing speed to climb over the top of cornerbacks quickly and the ball skills to finish the catch. While his hands can be a little inconsistent underneath and his routes are underdeveloped, his size-speed combination will offer a team a homerun hitter who forces defenses to keep a safety shaded his way. Gibson could be a low-volume, high-impact starter fairly early in his career. [NFL.com]