Mt favorite player in this draft. If he's there at 2a (projections say yes, I would worry), we gotta grab him. He has that nice low, compact build and lower-body drive, but it's his foot quickness in particular that sets him apart - it's tremendous. His quick feet allow him to take short strides, and in the tape you see his feet are always under him giving him great balance. It's hard to knock him over - you see him bouncing off people, especially on the edge; he's a really active runner - pretty elusive with good wiggle in space. But that elusiveness isn't mixed with too much hesitation like it is with Bush; Gio's more decisive when accelerating and is very smooth when he sees something with his good vision.
The comparison to Rice is valid. They both do so many things very well, can line up in lots of spots, and are very good pass-catchers...though they're different in some ways. From combine: Rice 5'8 199, Gio 5'8 202. Rice with a faster 40 (4.42) and 3-cone, Gio (4.53) with faster shuttles and better vertical (though their times were very close). Rice has a little more bowling ball in him now that he bulked up in the League, imo, lowering his pads and barreling ahead; Gio is a better open-field runner and more apt to make big plays because he sets up his blocks so well - this is what makes him a dangerous punt returner despite his lack of a high top gear. Gio is a little more elusive, too, little more make-you-miss while Rice has that sweet jump-cut. The other NFL comparison I'd make is a really good Shane Vereen. Remember that NE-Hou playoff game: they finally gave Vereen the ball more in lots of ways (singleback, shotgun, out wide, etc.) and he tore it up - that's Gio every week.
UNC changed offenses from 2011 prostyle to 2012 spread. Gio said he thought he was better off in the pro, but he obviously excelled in both. You can see on highlights that he's comfortable anywhere, beside the QB, behind, carrying and running routes from either. Like someone said, he's a more natural and tough inside runner than Bush, and I think he'd complement Miller really well (like when Balt made that great change in the playoff run...they would split Rice out wide and keep Pierce in the backfield...that's very hard to matchup with). He can do it all!
2012 season in spread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MvPNeBymHE
2011 against UMiami, pro-style stuff. You get a better sense of his lower-body drive here in traditional sets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gCUHbM_3cA
I realize that the odds of us drafting him are not great, but I'm glad he visited and will hope for that 'considerable' interest.
