Expectations for rookie running back Melvin Gordon were amped up in his preseason debut for the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night. Getting first-team reps over Danny Woodhead, many expected the first-round pick to show everyone why the Chargers were so high on him in the first place.
A meaningless preseason game may not give us an indication one way or another, but the Wisconsin product struggled big time against the Dallas Cowboys, rushing the ball six times for just 11 yards.
The Chargers, who were trying some thing out along the offensive line in the preseason opener, probably shouldn't be too worried here. After all, Gordon has looked good running the ball during training camp. Though, there are a couple things to take out of Gordon's performance—things the first-year running back needs to work on to be relied on as an every-down back this season.
Field Vision
At least twice throughout the evening, Gordon showed a lack of field vision. He continually picked the wrong hole to run through, limiting his ability to gain valuable yardage on the ground. Somewhat of an issue at Wisconsin, Gordon was able to mask this with plus-level athleticism. That's something he won't have the benefit of relying on in the NFL. Speed and breakaway ability are nice. Being able to show patience while following your blockers is another thing.
The one common takeaway from camp has been Gordon struggling in pass protection. While that didn't come front and center Thursday night, it's also something to keep an eye on as the preseason progresses. If Gordon is not tasked with pass protecting in front of Philip Rivers in the remaining two games that the quarterback is set to play, there's going to have to be some concern as to whether Gordon will be a three-down back as a rookie—leading to further questions about the type of fantasy impact he's going to make.
Gordon's current ADP has him as the 13th running back off the board and a mid third-round pick. That seems like a risky proposition right now. That's only magnified by the fact that Woodhead come in on short-yardage situations in the two series that Gordon did play.