NFL Draft Profile: Gunner Romney, Wide Receiver, BYU Cougars

#18
Pos: WR
Ht: 6020
Wt: 190
Hand: 918
Arm: 3268
Wing: 7700
40: 4.50
DOB: 9/15/1999
Hometown: Chandler, AZ
High School:
Eligibility: 2023

Gunner Romney
BYU Cougars

One Liner:

Romney is an experienced deep threat with excellent ball skills and a physical playing style to tip the scales in his favor at the catch point, but he lacks the separation skills, speed, and suddenness to consistently beat NFL corners, especially when facing press coverage.

Evaluation:

Romney is a long strider with experience working outside and in the slot. While he continues to miss time early in the 2022 season because of an undisclosed injury, he showed improved pass catching skills in 2021, dropping just one pass on about 50 targets. The former three-star recruit plays to his size, winning roughly 65% of his contested catch opportunities during his 2020 and 2021 seasons combined. Romney plays physically throughout the route and is aggressive at the catch point. He’s made several impressive catches over defensive backs. Romney plays with high-end ball skills that help him make grabs along the sideline, high-point jump balls, extend for diving catches, haul in receptions while going to the ground, and finish catches through contact. He works back to the quarterback when plays break down. Romney is quick into and out of cuts on short slants and underneath routes, but he could sink his hips more at the top of intermediate routes. Romney is excellent at making back shoulder catches and does a good job selling his route fakes. BYU frequently used him as a deep threat, which led to the Arizona native having an average depth of target over 16 yards downfield in 2020 and 2021. However, that’s a role Romney will struggle to continue filling at the NFL level. He lacks the speed to consistently threaten defenses vertically, and corners are willing to challenge him in press coverage because they don’t fear his speed. Romney’s release lacks suddenness, and sticky corners smother his routes. The fifth-year prospect struggles to create separation, but he makes up for this shortcoming with his contested catch skills. Romney doesn’t frequently break tackles or generate significant yards after the catch. While he has the physical tools to be an impact blocker, he doesn’t consistently get after defensive backs in the running game. Sometimes Romney’s outside releases carry him too close to the sideline, which limits the window for his quarterback to throw into.

Grade:

6th Round

Background:

Romney was a three-star recruit from Chandler High School in Chandler, Ariz. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 489 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 483 for On3.com. Romney was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. MaxPreps credits Romney with 80 receptions for 1,554 yards and 18 touchdowns as a high school senior. He’s also credited with 70 receptions for 1,309 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior and 48 receptions for 766 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. Romney led Chandler High School to back-to-back 6A state titles in 2016 and 2017. He participated in the Nike Opening camp and was named MVP. Romney is the nephew of former BYU wide receiver Matt Allen. He has three siblings. His brother (Baylor) played quarterback at BYU from 2018-21 while another brother (Tate) is currently a freshman linebacker for BYU. Romney got married in July of 2021. He received First-Team All-Independent honors in 2021 from Pro Football Network.