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The Skinny
Chris Godwin was one of Bill O’Brien’s recruits before he left for the NFL. The four star receiver and best player in Delaware, Godwin had offers from just about every team in power 5 football, and Delaware. He stuck around after James Franklin was announced as the new coach, and immediately made an impact on the offense, replacing recently departed Allen Robinson.
Like Robinson, Godwin had the propensity to make a big catch. While he only had 26 catches in his first season in 2014, he broke out in the bowl game against Boston College for 140 yards on on seven receptions, and a touchdown to go along with it.
His sophomore season was a continuation of his bowl game. Godwin became the go to guy for then-quarterback Christian Hackenberg, which resulted in 69 catches (nice) for 1101 yards, a third team All Big Ten selection, and a few gems like this one:
While under a different quarterback, Godwin remained a go-to guy with the propensity for the big play in his junior season. His production fell a little, to the tune of 59 catches for 982 yards, but he scored 11 times, a career high. That earned him an All Big Ten honorable mention, and a few gems, like this one:
What You’re Getting
You’re getting a guy not too dissimilar from the previous wide receiver out of Penn State. Depending on the team, he may not be the fastest guy on the roster. He’ll come close though. Regardless, he’s fast enough to consistently get to the ball and make defenders miss. He has good hands, and most of all, he has the strength to fight off defenders in one-on-one situations.
Godwin also has many of the measurables NFL teams look for in a receiver, and they were on full display in the combine. Chris was a top performer in the bench press and 20-yard shuttle, and his 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash was in the top five of the group.
Godwin has the speed, hands, and strength to be an NFL starter from day one, and a good chance at a long career. A team in need will likely end up getting a steal when his name gets called.