Commanders 2020 Draft Pick to Change Positions

Antonio Gandy-Golden spent his first two seasons at wide receiver.

Jeremy Brener | May 20, 2022

It isn't every day you see an NFL player change positions in the middle of his professional career. But when you're looking to grasp on what could be your final chance to stay in the league, you'd do just about anything.

Antonio Gandy-Golden

Antonio Gandy-Golden

And for Washington Commanders 2020 draft pick Antonio Gandy-Golden, it means making the move from wide receiver to tight end.

The Commanders drafted Gandy-Golden in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, hoping he could be the running mate 2019 draft pick Terry McLaurin needed. However, things haven't quite worked out for the former Liberty Flames pass-catcher.

Through two seasons, Gandy-Golden has shuffled from the active roster to the practice squad multiple times and only played in 10 out of a possible 33 games. He signed a future/reserve contract following the end of the season.

During those games, he has just one catch for three yards. But now, in an attempt to save his career, Gandy-Golden is trying his luck at tight end.

The idea certainly isn't a terrible one. Gandy-Golden's 6-4, 223-pound frame mirrors that of a modern-day tight end, and certainly one with a wide receiver background.

And Washington could be one of the best environments to learn how to play the position, considering starting tight end Logan Thomas entered the league as a quarterback.

Antonio Gandy-Golden

Antonio Gandy-Golden

Cole Turner

Gandy-Golden still has a ways to go to make the Commanders roster this season and stick. He'll have to compete for roughly 3-4 roster spots amongst Thomas, last year's fourth-round pick John Bates, this year's fifth-round pick Cole Turner and developmental international prospect Sammis Reyes.

Published May 20, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.