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Dynasty Prospect Profile: Michael Gallup

By Jared Smola | Updated on Fri, 19 Apr 2024 . 1:27 PM EDT

Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State

Height: 6’1

Weight: 205

Age: 22.1

Combine and Pro Day results:

(percentile rank among all WRs at the Combine since 1999, courtesy of mockdraftable.com):

40-yard dash: 4.51 seconds (53rd)

Vertical: 36” (58th)

Broad: 122” (63rd)

3-cone: 6.95 seconds (45th)

20-yard shuttle: 4.37 seconds (14th)

College career:

Gallup was tabbed a 3-star recruit and received multiple D-I scholarship offers out of high school. But poor academics forced him to begin his college career at Butler County Community College. He racked up 780 receiving yards as a freshman and ranked 2nd in the conference with 11 TDs. An ankle injury limited him to just 4 games in 2015, before he headed off to Colorado State.

Gallup immediately became the #1 WR for a 2016 Rams offense that ranked 28th in points, 48th in passing yards and 20th in passing TDs. He dominated market share, accounting for a whopping 34.9% of the team’s receptions, 40.0% of the receiving yards and 48.3% of the receiving scores.

Gallup ranked 9th in the nation in TDs and 14th in yards. His 16.7 yards per catch was good for 14th among players with 50+ receptions. Gallup was particularly dominant over the 2nd half of the 2016 campaign, scoring at least once in each of the final 8 games and topping 100 yards in 6 of those outings.

That momentum carried right over to 2017, with Gallup setting a school record and finishing 3rd in the country with 100 catches. Only 4 guys tallied more receiving yards.

Gallup’s TDs were sliced in half from the previous year, despite the Rams throwing for a matching 29 scores. But his market share of receptions (35.2%) and yards (37.3%) remained strong.

He was named a consensus All-American and a Biletnikoff Award finalist. Gallup left Colorado State ranked top 6 in school history in career receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs — despite spending just 2 seasons there.

Film study:

Courtesy of Draft Breakdown and Cut Up Corner

Games watched - Idaho (2016), Oregon State, Alabama, Air Force, Wyoming

Gallup doesn’t pop off the tape with size or athleticism. But, among the 8 WRs we’ve studied so far, he’s right there with Calvin Ridley as the best route runner. Gallup changes speed within his routes and understands how to set up defenders to create separation.

Check him out at the top of the screen here. The pass is overthrown, but watch how Gallup attacks the CB’s outside shoulder before cutting hard across his face:

This time, Gallup sells the in-breaking route before heading toward the near sideline:

He’s also good on slants and comebacks.

And Gallup, despite no better than average size, is not afraid to go over the middle of the field, take a hit and make a contested catch.

After the catch, Gallup combines speed, balance and surprising power to pick up extra yardage. Colorado State often used him on screens, where he ranked 3rd among FBS WRs with 250 yards in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.

Gallup isn’t as good downfield as he is in the short and intermediate passing game. He plays with just average long speed and isn’t a great high-pointer Per Pro Football Focus, he caught just 31.3% of his deep targets last season, which ranked 171st in the nation.

Fantasy potential:

Gallup has limited major-college experience after spending his first 2 seasons at Butler County Community College. But his production at Colorado State over the past 2 years was as impressive as any WR in this draft class — in terms of raw numbers, market share and efficiency. (He ranked 8th among draft-eligible receivers in yards per route run last year, according to Pro Football Focus.)

The tape shows a guy with good-enough size and athleticism who wins with crafty route-running and inspired after-the-catch effort. Gallup looks like a WR who could contribute to his NFL squad relatively early with the potential to eventually emerge as a key piece of the short and intermediate passing games.

While he probably doesn’t boast the big-play or TD potential to score as a WR1, there’s every-week WR2 upside here.