Jon Baldwin Scouting Report

Jon Baldwin only played in nine games during his freshman campaign in 2008, but he was second on the team with 404 receiving yards and tied for first with three touchdown receptions. By the end of the season Baldwin was in the starting lineup where he probably should have been since day one. The following year Baldwin continued to show off his great skills and became the first Pittsburgh receiver to eclipse the 1,000 yard receiving mark since 2004. The question in 2010 would be building off that success with a new quarterback under center. Baldwin's production has dipped a little bit, but the Panthers are playing much better now than they were early in the 2010 campaign. Through seven games Baldwin has 30 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns.

Those numbers should improve as quarterback Tino Sunseri gets better. Pitt has dominated their two Big East games by beating Syracuse and Rutgers and they are the only undefeated team left in conference play. If the Panthers continue to win games, Baldwin will finally get some national attention.

Yet, at 6-5 and 230 pounds, Baldwin does not need his team to do well for him to be a first round draft pick. Not only does Baldwin have great size and strength, but he is fast. He has reportedly run a sub 4.4 40 and if he does that again at the NFL combine, he will be the first receiver off of the board. Even if he runs a 4.5 40, he will be one of the top three receivers in the draft…that is if he opts to forgo his senior season at Pitt.

1/25 Update: After finishing the 2010 season with 53 receptions for 822 yards and five touchdowns, Baldwin has opted to forgo his senior season at Pitt and enter the NFL Draft. Despite the average numbers, Baldwin was named to All-Big East First-Team by the league's coaches. However, many NFL teams are not quite sold on Baldwin yet. He is considered a safe first or second round selection, but he could shoot up draft boards at the NFL Combine.

3/27 Update: Baldwin was expected to measure out very well at the combine, but was blown away by Julio Jones every step of the way. The disappointing workouts really showed the huge gap there is between Jones and A.J. Green and the rest of the receivers in the 2011 NFL draft class. Baldwin looked much smoother at Pittsburgh's pro day and should have cemented his spot as the third best receiver in this class. Whether that means he will end up in the late first round or sometime in the second remains to be seen.