Running back Melvin Gordon came out of Wisconsin without much experience as a pass catcher or pass blocker, although that didn’t stop the Chargers from making him their first-round pick.
They also didn’t let that limited experience stop them from installing him at the top of their backfield depth chart either. Pass protection is going to be important if Gordon is going to be on the field often enough to play that role and if the Chargers are going to strike the right balance on offense this season.
All of that makes it a good sign that running backs coach Ollie Wilson says that he hasn’t seen anything from Gordon to suggest that he lacks the pass protection skills he needs to play in the NFL.