Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Ollie Gordon, RB

Height: 6'2
Weight: 225 pounds
Age: 21
College: Oklahoma State

Strengths

• Physical Style: Gordon is a throwback runner with his size. He uses his frame to run over defenders and has the athleticism to take advantage of hesitation. Don't try to tackle Gordon up high, as he's very difficult to tackle with momentum.
• Vision: While not a great lateral mover, Gordon displays really good vision. He identifies defenders on the second level
• Pass Blocking: Gordon is an excellent pass protector. He's physical and aggressive engaging with blitzers and preventing them from getting to the quarterback.

Weaknesses

• Lateral Movement: Gordon is going to be limited in what schemes he can succeed with. He doesn't move well laterally and is more of a straight-line runner. Zone schemes won't be the best fit, but a man/gap/power scheme would be a great fit.
• Pad Level: While Gordon is tough to tackle in space due to his size and physicality, he does hinder himself as an upright runner, making himself a large target for defenders.
• Speed: Gordon doesn't have a lot of top-end speed. He does a good job getting to the second level but doesn't have the ability to break away from defenders.

Weaknesses

• Tempo: One of Hampton's big issues is varying speeds, especially in open space. He struggles to downshift and maneuver around defenders to force missed tackles.
• Evading Defenders: He does a great job of running through defenders and can run past them, but forcing them to miss in the open field isn't his specialty. Gordon's specialty 
• Production Concerns: Gordon was 7th in Heisman Trophy voting in 2023 with 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns. His production dipped to 880 yards and 13 touchdowns. Not only was the volume down, the efficiency dropped as well from 6.1 YPC to 4.6 YPC.

Player Evaluation

Gordon is a talented player who was the majority of the offense for the Cowboys over the last two seasons. This past year, things took a turn, as the Cowboys didn't win a single Big 12 game. With a non-existent passing game in Stillwater, Gordon's production dipped in a major way.

When he's on, it was nearly impossible to stop Gordon, including in the passing game, where he was used regularly in the screen game. In the NFL, Gordon will need to play in the right scheme to be maximized, as a zone scheme won't be efficient for his skillset.

Player Comparison

Braelon Allen

The comparison to Allen is a relatively simple one. They are both bigger-bodied backs who aren't meant to play in a zone scheme, but rather a gap/power one that allows them to hit the hole and build momentum with a straight-ahead running style.

A to Z Rankings:

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #94 overall, #9 running back

A to Z Draft Grade: 6.84

Draft projection: Early Day Three