In our first month of the positional draft breakdown series, we already discussed running backs, linebackers, wide receivers, cornerbacks, offensive tackles, edge defenders, interior offensive and defensive linemen. This week, we’ll be taking a look at the tight-ends and safeties, before we finish up with the long-awaited quarterback rankings.
This group is obviously headlined by a player who has dominated college football the last three years and has been destined to sit atop this list ever since he was a true freshman. After that, there’s another player who should be a top-50 pick. From that point onwards, these rankings can look a lot different depending on what you personally value and which type of player you’re looking for. I personally have three other names that belong inside the top-100, along with one more guy who could easily be up there with a clean medical bill. The depth in this class is certainly underwhelming however and I would think we’re looking at 15 or 16 total TEs drafted.
Since I mentioned it just now, these rankings are solely based on film analysis, without taking any injury or off-field concerns into account. And for the purposes of this exercises, a “Y” tight-end refers to a player playing on the ball next to the offensive tackle, an “F” is your more modern move option – which also includes big slot players – and an “H-back” or wing is someone lining up off the ball, either on the hip or just behind the tackle.
Let’s now get into it:
1. Brock Bowers, Georgia
6’3”, 240 pounds; JR
Just outside the top-100 overall recruits in 2021, As a true freshman, Bowers caught 58 passes for 882 and 13 touchdowns, along with four carries for 56 and another score, That made him a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection, His follow-up campaign was even better, hauling in 63 balls for 938 yards and rushing for another 109 yards on nine carries, including ten total TDs, winning the John Mackey award for the top TE in the country and just losing out to Michael Mayer for first-team All-American, whilst winning back-to-back national titles. He missed three weeks with a sprained ankle this past season, but still made first-team All-American for turning 62 touches into 742 yards and seven TDs across ten games.
Blocking:
+ Routinely used as the H-back and wing-man, while Darnell Washington lined up as the de-facto Y in prior years, before spending nearly 40% of snaps in-line last season
+ Offers a good initial strike and is regularly able to turn guys on the edge further outside, so they don’t affect runs between the tackles
+ Does well to get underneath the chest and/side of C-gap defenders and allowing linemen to pull around, such as on power
+ You like what Bowers gives you leading the way out towards the sideline, lending a help-hand if necessary and snatching up DBs on fly sweeps for example
+ Well-coordinated and fundamentally sound at securing blocks in space when split out, while continuing to re-fit his hands and never stopping his feet from churning
+ Urgently approaches safeties or slot defenders and gives his teammates a clear indication of where to go on perimeter runs and screens
+ Quickly turns himself into a blocker when he sees one of his fellow receivers secure catches and is able to land his hands into the frame of defenders at a high rate
Releases & route-running:
+ Provides the vertical push to put off-defenders on their heels and come opens as he breaks off intermediate routes, since he can really drop his weight and make sharp transitions
+ Has the footwork put himself in leverage advantages against press-defenders, leans into and nudges them off effective to create separation at the top of the route
+ Putting Bowers in stacks or bunches with his man in outside leverage becomes dangerous if he runs drag routes
+ You can not allow this guy to zoom up the hashes uncontested or he’ll burn you, yet he also offers the nimble feet to elude ancillary defenders without really getting off track
+ Shows a good understanding for widening his stem in order to create more space for himself as he breaks into voided space of zone coverage
+ Frequently was able to create a favorable target pushing up to depth, rapidly turning around knifing upfield for good yardage on sit-routes over the middle
+ Bockers can truly line up as a single receiver on the backfield and defeat corners
+ Has posted elite PFF grades each of his first two seasons (92.1 and 90.0) with the Bulldogs, with passer ratings above 140 when targets in each of those
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ While tracking the ball early already, Bowers doesn’t reach out or back and lead defenders to initiate contact at the catch-point typically until he needs to
+ Showcases high-level hand-eye coordination and does well on those awkward adjustments, having to reach behind or slow down as he’s running at full speed – only dropped eight of 178 catchable targets these past three years combined (4.4%)
+ Displays strong hands in tight areas and has the frame to deal with contact, while naturally clearing the hands of defenders trying to contest the catch – hauled in 23 of 39 contested targets in his career (59.0%)
+ He’s continued to become more effective at getting past defenders, identifying defenders in pursuit and crossing them up unlike – last season, he forced 18 missed tackles on just 56 catches, which is closer to a top-tier running back in terms of that rate
+ You see Bowers constantly drag tacklers along and make those guys look small – Against TCU in the 2022/23 National Championship, the phrase “man amongst boys” was truly on display, as he hauled in all seven of his targets for 152 yards and a touchdown
+ Pullls those knees up high to not have hie leg cut down from underneath him and racked up at least 479 yards after the catch in each of his three seasons with the Bulldogs – only now-Ravens standout Isaiah Likely had more than 406 in any of those years
+ That’s why the Bulldogs handed him jet sweeps, end-arounds and reverses as actual elements to the rushing offense, along with screens
Weaknesses:
– Undersized for an extended in-line role and wasn’t asked to do that a whole lot leading up to 2023
– When bigger edge defenders are able to get into his chest, they can dictate terms to him in the run game, and you see Bowers overextend as a result, which still leads to some unfavorable position
– More of a build-up speed than instant explosion off the line I’d say (with no official timed speed on it)
– After excelling in that area coming into his junior season (70% combined), Bowers was only able to haul in two of nine contested targets in 2023 (22.2%) and he fumbled twice
– Won’t be able to bully defenders after the catch in the pros like he did in college
Any argument for Brock Bowers not being a top-ten prospect in this draft revolve around nit-picking and wanting to slap the label of “tight-end” on him, which simply doesn’t encapsulate what role he’ll fulfill. If he was a pure slot receiver, he should probably be a first-round pick anyway. You can line him at basically any of the eligible spots and he can win his matchups vs. man-coverage or work towards space against zone. He tracks the ball and adjusts to it very well, he can secure targets through contact and then once it’s in his hands, he can either make people miss or take them along for the ride on his way towards the end-zone. If you do want to utilize him as more of a traditional in-line option, the lack of raw mass to gain control and sustain blocks will be lesser than some of other guys in this class, but he can get the job done when asked to, especially if you put him on the edge for a wide zone-based scheme, where he can combo up with the tackle to help get the ball out to the perimeter. Positional value and how it compares with the money he’s actually going to be paid relative to a wide receiver in that range will be brought up, but this is a unicorn-like prospect who has absolutely dominated the SEC for the last three years, even if the NFL is still a big step up of course.
2. Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
6’4”, 245 pounds; RS SO
A five-star recruit in 2021, Sanders redshirted his first year at Texas, before setting a Longhorns single-season record for tight-ends with 54 catches in his actual debut campaign, accounting for 613 yards and five touchdowns. He caught nine fewer passes and only reached the end-zone twice in 2023, but put up 682 yards and helped Texas win the Big 12 along earning a CFP berth, while making first-team all-conference individually.
Blocking:
+ Can fire out of a three-point stance, with a former defensive end background (20 TFLs and 11 sacks as a high school senior) and provides great leg-drive
+ Able to dish out powerful drive-blocks on the move and more than just “securing” targets in space – you see him ride DBs out of bounds every once in a while
+ Continues to bring his hips around and is able to reach-block the point-man on perimeter-oriented run concepts
+ The Longhorns put Sanders at H-back a ton and tasked him with a variety of assignments in the run game, whether he was pulled out to the corner or was brought across the formation on split zone or counter, where he’d wrap around for linebackers
+ Reliably lands the near-shoulder into the inside half of edge defenders on kickouts, in order to force them to work around him
+ Excellent at locating and latching onto targets on the move as part of end-arounds, reverses, etc.
+ Has some tremendous showcases of effort, to actually pass his teammates and getting a piece of defenders way down the field
+ You saw Sanders work underneath the formation and pick up legit edge rushers as part of the protection on play-action and holding his own for a few reps against names like Alabama all-world guy Will Anderson Jr.
Releases & route-running:
+ Has easy acceleration off the line, with the speed to blow by the second level and split the safeties in two-high looks if you let him release cleanly
+ Could become a nightmare for linebackers in match-coverages when he runs benders and forces them to turn with him
+ His change of direction skills for a guy at his measurements are pretty rare, throwing in hip-shifts
+ Offers the quick feet and ability to turn his shoulders away from defenders to elude press-attempts and put guys in catch-up mode
+ Continues to swipe and swat the near-hand of defenders trying to stick to him across the field
+ Effectively applies pacing on double-moves, baiting defenders to undercut the initial break before bursting away from them
+ Had PFF receiving grades of 76.1 and then 79.0 these past two years
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Showcases excellent flexibility and sticky hands to deal with suboptimal ball-placement – didn’t drop a single pass (45 receptions) in 2023
+ Can shield the ball with body and seems unbothered by contact as he’s extending for it
+ You see plenty of catches that allow the defender back into the catch window and Sanders being able to bail out the quarterback – posted a 53.6% contested rate in his career
+ Whether he has to embrace an oncoming hit by a safety barreling down on him or turn his body away from shallow zone defenders underneath him as he secures the catch, Sanders avoids opportunities for the ball to be jarred loose regularly
+ Has that instant burst once the ball is in his hands, to challenge the pursuit angles of defenders – Averaged 7.7 yards after the catch this past season
+ Displays splendid lateral quick to side-step or jump-cut defenders in the open field, yet is also capable of running through safeties in his way when he drops the pads on them, converting speed to power effectively
+ Was put on lots of chip-releases and became a dump-off option with RAC opportunities, and Texas also set up screen passes for him
Weaknesses:
– His hands do slide outside the frame of front-seven defenders and he ends up holding quite a bit – was penalized ten times over the past two seasons combined
– As a slot receiver. Sanders has room for improvement in terms of breaking down and putting his body in front of DBs on screen passes
– The foot quickness is there, but currently he’s too upright trying to release out of two-point stances and doesn’t counter the initial jam effectively enough
– Needs to work on his ability to freeze the feet of defenders in man-coverage, particularly when he has the advantage by leverage and allows those guys to stay in phase anyway (to disrupt the catch-point)
– Has some balance issues after the catch trying to get up the field when he takes dump-offs underneath
Being TE2 in a class with a talent at the top like in this draft is sort of an unenviable position, because the rest of the group is barely being discussed. However, in many other years Sanders would at least get a lot more attention. The urgency out of his stance and the ability to block on the move are excellent. As a receiver, he offers quick acceleration from any alignment, showcases impressive of change-of-direction, catches pretty much anything in his vicinity and offers an impressive blend of speed, agility and power after the catch. He did not test like the athletic freak you were expecting at the combine, running a 4.69 at 245 pounds, and he needs refinement as receiver to avoid contact early and separate from it during the route. Sanders’ best role in the NFL is one as an H-back and big slot, although it will not exclude in-line duties from his task list. So depending on his development, he could land anywhere from a Pro Bowl-level F tight-end to a WR3 with mismatch ability as the baseline. I would be willing to invest a top-50 pick in him.
3. Ben Sinnott, Kansas State
6’4”, 250 pounds; RS SR
Once a former zero-star recruit for 2019, Sinnott originally committed to South Dakota, but didn’t see the field until he enrolled at K-State the following season. 2022 is when he finally started getting extended run, catching 31 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns. However, he basically put up 1.5 times those numbers his final year with the Wildcats (49-676-six) and made first-team All-Big 12.
Blocking:
+ Used in a variety of ways, playing in-line, the slot, wing and fullback
+ His natural leverage advantage and powerful lower half allows Sinnott to help dig out C-gap defenders on combos with the tackle
+ K-State shifted him into an offset I-formation and used him as a lead-blocker a few times, where he was able to get under the pads of linebackers and ride them out of the lane
+ Was regularly asked to work out to the corner and clear the way on QB keeps or sweeps, with the light feet to secure targets in space
+ Frequently sifting underneath the O-line, Sinnott shows the ability to not get hung up with bodies in the backfield, but rather to stay tight to the backs of his teammates and wrap around onto force defenders, while the QB reads the unblocked edge defender get too far up the field
+ With his wide base and sticky hands, Sinnott can be relied upon to contribute in pass-pro against edge rushers a few times per game from in-line or wing alignment
+ Received PFF run- and pass-blocking grades well above 70 last season (76.1 and 72.8 respectively)
Releases & route-running:
+ Has some pretty snappy hips for more of a tall fullback build, to where he can gain separation on dig routes
+ Navigates around traffic at a very efficient level and you see him fluidly adjusts the steepness of his angles on the fly on deep crossers
+ Even if he gets knocked off track a little bit, Sinnott stays focused on getting back to his landmarks and maintaining a place in the pattern
+ Showcases excellent understanding for how to widen windows for himself with the way he stems and bends vertical routes between the hashes
+ Works to depth and then offers a swift turn back to the quarterback to eat against zone coverage, whether he’s splitting linebackers or curls up in front of deep safeties
+ Realizes when to slow his pace a little bit in order to take advantage of the space between the second and third level in shell coverages
+ Had an average depth of target of over 10 yards each of the past two seasons, yet passer ratings of 127.7 and 105.3 respectively when targeted
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Has continued to work on tight overhand positions on targets above the belt – only dropped two of 50 catchable targets in 2023
+ Because of that more compact build, it’s tough to really affect the catch-point unless you actually wrap around him – 66.7% contested catch rate in 2022
+ Plus then he has the strong hands to swallow the ball when he has to work to his quarterback with defenders driving on the throw
+ Makes some challenging catches where he has to elevate for the ball and snatch it at full extension and pull it into his body
+ When he catches the ball on the run, you see Sinnott drag along tacklers and force more people to join the party
+ Displays great awareness for pursuit angles and finds solutions in the open field, hitting a well-timed spin move occasionally
+ Has more quicks and wiggle to him as a runner than defenders might anticipate – forced 14 missed tackles and gained 31 first downs across his 48 receptions last season
Weaknesses:
– Only having 32.5-inch arms limits his reach as a blocker and his catch-radius
– Earned just a 58.8 PFF run-blocking grade in 2022 and while he did significantly improve on that last season, edge defenders are able to establish first meaningful contact thanks to their length and take control of reps, along with his punch lacking some striking power
– Long, speedy edge rushers are able to turn the corner on him in pass-protection and I wouldn’t want to leave him one-on-one with guys from wide alignments
– Sinnott is quick at getting through his breaks, but the acceleration out of them leaves you wanting a little more
– May be able to gain a step on trailing defenders as a vertical threat, but he’s not going to split safeties or really pull away defensive backs with his long speed
I just outlined Sinnott as one of “my guys” as one of my favorite tight-ends/H-backs to watch over the past two seasons. I understand why the scouting community may be underrating him, considering he lacks top-end speed and the length you typically like to see from in-line options. However, you can argue nobody in the country played the position in a more well-rounded manner last season outside of Georgia’s Brock Bowers. Sinnott can take on a varied blocking role in terms of different alignments and assignments. He’s a more sudden route-runner than you might expect, he’s become a highly consistent catcher of the ball and then he’s one of the more effective YAC players at the position, thanks to how quickly he processes information, his awareness for bodies and the physicality of a fullback that he runs the ball with. Looking at his athletic profile, it’s eerily similar to Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl tight-end T.J. Hockenson and I believe this guy could do a lot of the same damage in the short to intermediate range. His jumps were in the 94th and 97th percentile respective and he was tied for the second-fastest three-cone drill among ALL players at the combine (4.82). I value him as a mid-day two selection, compared to falling to day three based on consensus boards.
4. Cade Stover, Ohio State
6’4”, 250 pounds; RS SR
Initially recruited as a linebacker inside the top-100 of the 2019 class, despite being mainly used as a running back in high school, Stover was used in the defensive front-seven as a rotational player his first two years with the Buckeyes before making the switch to tight-end. After catching five passes for 76 yards in 2021, he turned 36 receptions into 406 yards and five touchdowns as a redshirt junior. In 2023, he put up career-highs in catches (41) and yards (576), along with five more TDs, which earned him second- and first-team All-Big Ten recognition by the coaches and media respectively.
Blocking:
+ Legit Y tight-end with a heavy workload playing in-line and a linebacker mindset approaching contact
+ Excels at securing the end-man at the line of scrimmage and allowing his tackle to overtake, while cutting off a scraping linebacker on outside zone
+ Does an outstanding job of sealing off guys on the backside, urgently covering ground laterally and swiveling his hips around
+ Capable of displacing C-gap defenders and proving a lot of space for pullers coming around on power/counter etc. towards him
+ Seems comfortable blocking on the move, either on kick-outs or lead-blocks out to the corner, such as on sweep plays
+ With how sturdy he is, Stover doesn’t need to overextend and can take a blow to his chest from safeties without giving them an angle around him on screen passes
+ Has the frame and plays with the sink in his hips to be an effective pass-protector (68.6 PFF grade in that regard last season)
+ Legitimately gets edge defenders airborne when he delivers chips before getting out in his route
Releases & route-running:
+ For a converted tight-end with his size, Stover releases pretty easily from a staggered stance or a hand in the ground
+ His burst from a two-point stance to get up the seam is a lot more impressive than out of an in-line alignment
+ Already has shown substantial improvements at setting up intermediate breaks, with a sharp drive step to come out flat and not allow angles to undercut him
+ Can use his size to create openings for the ball as he slightly pushes off at the break-point
+ Light on his feet and reduces the near-shoulder well to evade ancillary zone defenders, yet if they do get a piece of him, Stover typically isn’t pushed off track too far usually
+ Quick to get his head around as he enters voided space and became a safety blanket for an otherwise confidence-lacking Kyle McCord – hauled in 29 of 32 targets of less than ten yards last season
+ Earned PFF receiving grades above 93 for every level of depth (negative, 0-9, 10-19 and 20+ yards) and averaged a career-best 2.02 yards per route run in 2023
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Attack targets at their earliest available window and with optimal use of his hands – only dropped two passes in 2022 and none last year across 100 combined targets (and 79 catchable ones)
+ Actively works back to the ball with defenders closing on it, to not have passes broken up
+ Strong hands to survive defenders making contact with his backside and raking through the catch-point
+ Showed insane hand-eye coordination in the 2023 Notre Dame game to come down with a passes that got batted around on a prayer from QB Kyle McCord over the middle
+ Catches and pierces on targets where he turns back towards the quarterback, getting vertical immediately and turning his pads away to minimize surface area
+ Becomes a tank to bring down with the ball in his hands, as defenders just slip off him or he drags them along – averaged a substantial 6.9 yards after the catch this past season
+ You see him spin off hits and even hurdles diving attempts occasionally
Weaknesses:
– Tends to lead with his pads and could still latch his hands more emphatically to stay connected as a run-blocker
– Doesn’t offer a whole lot of juice vertically or after the catch – Not somebody who’s going to threaten the seams for you, to where you see linebackers catch back up and make plays on the ball
– Still developing his stem work and how to set up eventual breaks as a route-runner
– There’s some stiffness in his upper body trying to adjust and contort for passes without losing speed
– Showed up lighter than expected at the combine (247 pounds), yet his 4.65 in the 40 and the 36.5-inch vertical were both slightly below-average, he finished dead-last among tight-ends with a 9’8” broad jump and he second-to-last in the short shuttle (4.45)
Watching Stover with the background knowledge of him being a former linebacker does make you notice a slight difference in the way be moves. Yet, it also shows up in his affinity for contact and battling with front-seven defenders. While there is still room to perfect how he initiates contact, it’s the fact that he doesn’t really play fast or is particularly loose as a receiver that makes you question how much of a difference-maker in that regard. Having said that, he may very well end up as the best blocker from Y or wing alignments from this class and he presents upside to still improve his ability to separate. I feel confident in his ability to get on the field quickly, since on top of what he provides in the run game, he does settle or slows down effectively in open areas and fundamentally sound in how he approaches passes, catching pretty much everything coming his way. If he can grow his route his ability to set up routes and makes flexibility a high priority, he can be a quality starter in the NFL, worthy of a top-100 selection.
5. Theo Johnson, Penn State
6’6”, 260 pounds; RS JR
One of the top-100 national recruits in 2020, as a true freshman, Johnson caught four passes (for 56 yards) seeing very limited action across seven games. Over the following two seasons, he started 15 of 24 contests, hauling in 39 combined passes for 541 yards and five touchdowns.
Blocking:
+ Highly appealing physical profile with old-school size and new-school athleticism
+ Impressive ability to roll his hips into contact to create momentum as a run-blocker and his 33-inch arms are a major plus at winning the battle with edge defenders to not be out-reached and give up control
+ Excellent initial quickness and lateral agility to reach-block edge defenders lined up to his outside shoulders in order to allow the ball to get out to the perimeter
+ Regularly was utilized as a lead-block on gap and inside zone plays, often times lining up next to the quarterback in shotgun from split backfield looks
+ Happily throws his shoulder into backside edge defenders when sifting across the formation, but will keep them off balance with some effective cut-blocks to mix it up
+ Penn State worked in some misdirection plays, where Johnson would pivot around and basically “pull” out to the corner in order to turn into an effective lead-blocker
+ Does a good job of coming to balance against safeties on swing screens and other perimeter plays when lined up in the slot, yet can also ride people into the boundary when given the chance at a higher pace
+ Shows good fundamentals when asked to stay in protection, shuffling along with his feet and shoulder aligned, paired with a well-timed two-handed punch
Releases & route-running:
+ Had a massive average depth of target in 2022 (13.1 yards), yet the passer rating when targeted still ended up at a perfect 158.3
+ This past season with Brenton Strange off the NFL (second-round pick for the Jaguars), he was used more over the middle of the field, hauling in all but one of 19 targets from 0 to 10 yards between the numbers
+ Is able to cleanly get off the line typically from Y-alignments, even as defenders try to knock him or somebody slants his way
+ Packs a solid one-two step and swipe-down to defeat defenders matched up with him from detached alignments
+ Could use some improvement in the way he decelerates and sets up breaks, but the acceleration coming out of them makes you perk up
+ Showcases the sudden explosiveness to peel off the edge or leak underneath the formation out into the flats for RAC opportunities
+ Instantly turns his head as he’s clearing the second level on routes down the seams
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Showcases the hand-eye coordination to haul in passes put right on his frame just as his head turns back for them
+ Plucks passes from the top shelf on routes over the middle of the field to save his quarterback a few times
+ Makes several underhand catches on throws out to the flats off peel- and leak-routes without showing any issues of securing the ball and turning up the ball
+ The ball just sticks to those 10-and-¼ inch mitts – never dropped more than two passes in any season, including two last year on 36 catchable targets
+ Was only given nine contested catch opportunities, but did haul in six of those, displaying good focus with guys sticking to his hip
+ Instantly turns up the field, with the speed to stride away from and the affinity for contact to go through tacklers for yards after the catch
+ You see defenders race down on him catching a crossing route their way and Johnson has them bounce off his quads before getting upfield
Weaknesses:
– Overruns his targets when asked to work across the formation at times, especially when he’s supposed to wrap around and isolate second-level defenders
– Doesn’t always seem like he’s super confident in his route-running (particularly vs. zone-coverage) and sort of paces himself as he’s deciphering the defensive picture
– His footwork against contact early in the route need work and he allows defenders to stay tight in man-coverage more than they should be able to when he has a speed advantage
– Needs to improve how he utilizes his physicality to create separation, nudging instead of being obvious with pushing off defenders
– Lacks creativity with the ball in his hands, not even trying to put moves on people a whole lot – only forced two missed tackles across 34 receptions this past season
Johnson has seen an astronomic rise since his legitimately historic combine performance. He finished with a nearly perfect relative athletic score (9.99 out of 10), thanks to the second-best mark among tight-ends in the 40 (at 4.57), along with second in the vertical (at 39.5 inches) and broad jump (10’5”) and posted the best 20-yard shuttle time (4.19). During Senior Bowl week, I thought you also saw the easy burst off the line, along with an improved ability to violently drop his hips and burst out of his breaks, being named the National team’s Tight-end of the Week. He doesn’t always play up to those athletic measurements, even if the flashes may be there. Right now, he’s at his best lining up in the box as a blocker who can take on diverse assignments and then release off play-action to rip off plays where he has room to run and bowl over defenders at the end of it. In order to come close to his potential as a detached receiver, he really needs to work on pairing his hand-swipes with the appropriate step-coordination to gain control of routes early and then be more subtle with creating late separation. If he can do that, he has the potential to turn himself into the second-best TE of this class.
6. Erick All, Iowa
6’4″, 250 pounds; RS SR
A four-star recruit for Michigan in 2019, All had less than 100 receiving yards across his first two seasons, before hauling in 38 passes for 437 yards and two touchdowns in 2021. Only three games into the following season (three receptions for 36 yards) he suffered a back injury which required surgery. For the final 2023 season, he transferred in-conference to Iowa, where across seven games he secured 21 receptions for 299 yards and three TDs, before unfortunately tearing his ACL.
Blocking:
+ Has quality experience at H-/fullback and then more as in-line TE/wing for two of the most run-heavy pro style offenses in college football
+ Gives you quality effort generally as a blocker and works off combos with the appropriate timing
+ Strikes with forces when he has a bit more of a runway on split-zone or climbing up to the second level
+ Showcases impressive mobility to pull across the formation and become a lead-blocker, where he delivers some oomph on contact
+ Won’t slow down and ultimately finds work if he gets through the second level without anybody being in his path to block
+ Did well to run off coverage from the slot by putting his head down and forcing safeties to open with him
Releases & route-running:
+ Capable of dropping the hips and cleanly getting out of square breaks, but also plant and getting through transitions quicker, such as on delayed glances or you can even see it on a few shovel passes or sweeps
+ Runs some impressive angle routes basically, where he widens the stem vs. outside-leveraged defenders and at times actually get them to flip their hips that way before he breaks across their face
+ Effectively bends off the outside foot on quick routes towards the sideline
+ Displays the suddenness with his feet to elude ancillary zone defenders and be efficient with getting to his ultimate landmarks
+ While he was mainly clearing out space, All does provide a vertical component, pushing up the seams with plus acceleration
+ Iowa utilized him more down the field, where he’d run corner-post routes, showing a nice head-fake to get defenders leaning the wrong way
+ Averaged what would be strong mark for wide receivers with 2.62 yards per route run in 2023
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Does a nice job of high-pointing the ball and turning his body away from contact
+ Tracks the ball over the shoulder and cleanly catches it with his finger-tips on floating passes
+ Shows natural adjustments to back-shoulder placement based on the leverage of the defender and quickly pulls the ball into his frame to not allow it to be knocked out
+ Whether he hesitates or just makes subtle adjustments to his path, All has a knack for not giving defenders in the open field a straight shot at him
+ Has a bit of that bowling ball quality to him with the ball in his hands and plenty of horsepower to churn through wraps
+ All will stutter his feet to make defenders stop theirs, then plant and have his pads and hips aligned to drive through one shoulder of them
+ When he has space to run off crossers or slide routes, you’ll see this guy really pump those arms and be able to turn up the sideline for explosive plays
Weaknesses:
– Would more so throw a shoulder into defenders during his time at Michigan instead of latching his hands and sustaining blocks by driving his feet through
– Gets driven into the backfield at times when asked to cut off edge defenders on the backside from crashing through the C-gap
– Needs to play with a more consistent physicality and more active hands against defenders working hard to sticky to him
– Finished his career with a 13.4% drop rate, showcasing a side-by-side clap-attack tendency
– Suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons, including what is always rather scary with back surgery
While I started taking notes on All in 2021 and liked plenty that I saw on broadcasts, considering he only played in ten combined games – and didn’t even finish two of those – over the past two seasons and what an atrocity this Iowa offense has been to watch, he did leave my mind to a certain degree until I actually went back to study him. I was very impressed with his ability to go through different breaks with the appropriate suddenness or haste, some of the tough grabs he was able to hold onto and then how he’d navigate through contact once the ball was in his hands. With that being said, how he approaches more routine catches going forward and works on actually connecting with his hands as a blocker as well will determine how he turns early opportunities into extended ones. He may not ever be a true Y, but as a number two for an offense, who can line up on that guy’s hip or is featured more in the backfield, I really like his ability to get to spots and create that initial displacement on the collision with defenders, even though he doesn’t yet secure those as well as you’d like. His injury history will certainly push him down boards, but with a clean bill or at least confidence from your medical stuff that it won’t affect him going forward, I’d be fine with selecting him early on day three.
7. Tanner McLachlan, Arizona
6’5”, 240 pounds; RS SR
Unranked by the recruiting services back in 2018, McLachlan initially took a redshirt at Southern Utah, but due to COVID in 2020 and transfer rules the following fall, he was limited to eight total games across two seasons, catching 15 passes for 168 yards total. In two years with Arizona, he’s become a highly productive receiver, hauling 79 catches for nearly 1000 yards and six TDs.
Blocking:
+ Does well to center his blocks against box-safeties and latching his hands into their frame
+ Lifts from the ground up and rolling his hips into contact effectively
+ Will strain and keep re-positioning his feet in order to at least create stalemates with bigger front-seven defenders
+ Adjusts his angle accordingly on sift blocks and comes totally against edge defenders sticking to the hip of the backside tackle (on split zone primarily)
+ Showcases great patience and balance when he’s working up against defenders waiting back instead of coming his way
+ Works under good balance with a wide base, along with maximizing his length as he rides edge rushers further up the field than they want to go, to be an adequate pass-protector
Releases & route-running:
+ Shallow zone defenders who have to match and turn with him, McLachlan will quickly blow by as a threat around up the hashes
+ Capable of dropping his hips and cleanly getting out of whip/pivot routes
+ Understands how to increasing space for himself, such as widening the stem when he wants to break towards the middle of the field, in front of safeties
+ Does a great job of setting up play-action, tight-end screens and those pop passes over the middle with the way he delays his release from the initial block
+ Recognizes when to cut off his routes or stop them in a window as those hook-dropper opens up or the nickel flies out to the flats and the backer doesn’t widen towards him
+ Makes sure to drift further towards open space and create easy openings for the quarterback to get the ball to him when the route isn’t in-time with the drop anymore
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Frames the ball very well with over-hand technique, even as he has to slightly reach behind himself
+ Went from four drops in 2022 to none this past year, in part because of how he turns away from approaching defenders
+ Takes some jarring hits whilst elevating or stretching out for passes, yet is able to hold onto the ball on a bunch of those
+ Instantly transitions up the field, in particular on hook/stick routes and then will spin off, stiff-arm or even hurdle would-be-tacklers for yards after the catch
+ Can stop and make pursuing defenders miss unlike most tight-ends on the run – forced 11 missed tackles on 45 catches last season
+ Approaches contact with low pads and three points of pressure on the ball – zero career fumbles (on 94 total receptions)
Weaknesses:
– With only 31.5-inch arms, you see McLachlan get out-reach as a run-blocker and present a slightly limited catch-radius
– Can be overwhelmed by long, strong edge defenders fitting their hands into his chest
– Has to become more subtle with the way he creates softer edges for himself trying to work around contact vs. off-defenders
– Will get bumped around by linebackers a little bit as they slide in front of him and he tries to break away from them
– Needs to work for better rebounding positioning in contested situations, even more so than others with his smaller frame for a TE
In a tight-end class that certainly lacks some dynamism as you go through different names, watching McLachlan was a breath of fresh air. As a former wide receiver convert, he does lack some size and raw strength that you’d like to see if you want to play him in-line, but the willingness to contribute in that regard is clearly there. I don’t see him playing that more traditional Y spot a whole lot in the NFL, but if you put him off the ball for sifts, insert blocks, etc. he can be a valuable asset in the run game. And you really draft this guy for what he provides you out in the pattern. Play-strength in the route and at gaining optimal position for the catch-point could be better, but he cleanly gets out from different alignments, he can sink and change directions well, he has soft hits and he’s tough as hell at the end of it, where he takes some shots by safeties barreling down on him like a champ. You can send him vertically or set up run-after-catch opportunities, since he can make guys miss or fight for extra yards.
8. Jaheim Bell, Florida State
6’2″, 240 pounds; SR
A top-500 overall recruit in 2020, Bell only caught one pass as a freshman, before turning 30 catches into just three yards short of 500 and five touchdowns the year after, along with seven carries for another 40 yards. 2022 was kind of a weird season for Bell, as he actually lined up more at a traditional running back for stretches slightly more than half of his 492 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns came as a rusher (25 receptions and 73 catches). The following offseason, he transferred to FSU, where he settled back into more of an H-back and big slot role, with all but two of his 41 touches being receptions, as he put up 505 yards and reached the end-zone three times. That made him a second-team All-ACC selection.
Blocking:
+ The Gamecocks used Bell very much like what we’ve seen from Jonnu Smith in Tennessee (with only 44 snaps in-line, 82 in the slot and 162 in the backfield for South Carolina in 2022)
+ Last season with the Seminoles he spent a career-high 212 snaps in-line and was asked to fulfill more traditional tight-end assignments in the run game
+ Works up to the second level with good angles and the appropriate amount of patience
+ You can utilize Bell’s mobility working across the formation and turning into a lead-blocker who launches himself into contact toe eliminate defenders on the perimeter
+ Is able slide in front of off and secures overhang/slot defenders on fly sweeps, as well as shield defensive backs on wide receiver screens
+ Has shown the lateral agility shuffle in front of with square shoulders, good sink in his base and delivers a forceful strike as a pass-protector
Releases & route-running:
+ Has the 4.61 wheels to gain a step on nickelbacks running seam routes or safeties as he bends across the field
+ South Carolina certainly made use of Bell’s speed component as a sophomore, as he was targeted on crossers or deep down the field on more than half of his 41 opportunities (3.67 yards per route run that year), before they needed him in the backfield the following season – and this past season with FSU, he actually had a career-high ADOT of 7.9 yards
+ You saw Bell legitimately line up at the X by himself and stack corners on fade routes at times for the Gamecocks, while at FSU, he was put more in the slot and used that extra gear to detach from safeties on inside fades
+ Is able to add a stick at the top of the route and create separation on deeper curls
+ Glides through speed cuts and offers the agility to navigate around traffic in an efficient manner
+ Where you really like his quick burst is out-flanking linebackers on delayed releases, taking off after faking stalk blocks or crossing with one of his receivers out of stacks/on rubs
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Shows no issues extending and plucking the ball away from his frame, with above-average tracking skills
+ Offers the combination of sturdy frame and lanky arms (33 inches) to elevate for big-time catches in traffic
+ Can make people miss better than a lot of quick slot receiver, but what really stands out about watching him with the football is his contact balance and power – averaged 11.8 yards after the catch in 2021 and then 8.1 respectively these past two seasons
+ When he’s running, you almost forget how big he is, yet then he’ll drop the shoulder on somebody on the second/level third level and people bounce backwards – There are plays, where the safety barrels down and hits him at full speed, but somehow Bell shrugs it off and keeps going
+ If defenders don’t actually shoot through his hips, he will stiff-arm them to the ground, but then when guys overrun him, he can also push them by and slide inside of those guys – forced at least 11 missed tackles as a receiver alone each of the past three seasons on 93 total catches,
+ Dude has an attitude with the ball in his hands and even as he’s forced to step out of bounds, he shoves off guys
+ Whether he’s running fly sweeps, going on delayed screen passes or running single back power, he’s been used a lot of designed touches throughout his career, thanks to his processing of information on the fly and good ball-security (only fumbled once overall across 179 career touches)
Weaknesses:
– His lack of weight for playing near the line leads to him losing blocking matchups eventually, even if the form looks good initially
– This isn’t someone who can drive people off the point of attack and he’s forced to take a couple of steps backwards at times
– At this point, Bell’s routes are certainly more rounded and lack any type of refinement, in particular his ability to drop his weight
– Bell is an offensive weapon who you want to give the ball quickly, rather than somebody will work his way open for big plays
– Has a tendency of drifting away from some catches, where he already wants to run with the ball
It feels like we’ve been talking about Jaheim Bell for like three years now. He’s been one of then more fun guys to watch when he’s gotten featured and has been one of the most versatile weapons in college football. Unfortunately, it’s pretty tough to project what his future in the NFL may look like without a defined role. Clearly he’s at his best with the ball in his hands and I almost felt compelled to write a paragraph on him as a running back prospect, because he has the appropriate vision, ability to alter his pace and power to be considered as such. However, I don’t think anybody is spending anything but a late-round flyer on him as a project there. Instead, his best path seems to be as an H-back and package player as a big slot. So this isn’t necessarily a profile that will organically fit into any offense, yet I do of course believe there are some redeeming qualities to invest into. He’s an excellent (lead-)blocker out to the corner, he has the speed to stretch defenses horizontally or vertically, he shows good flexibility to secure off-target passes and then he’s as dangerous after the catch as any TE in this class not named Brock Bowers or Ja’Tavion Sanders.
9. Dallin Holker, Colorado State
6’4”, 240 pounds; RS SR
Just outside the top-1000 national recruits back in 2018 as a wide receiver and safety, Holker was a member of BYU for five years, spending two of those on a mission. Across 29 career games with the Cougars, he recorded 42 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns. For his final season of eligibility, he decided to transfer to CSU, where he put up career-highs across the board in catches (64), yards (767) and touchdowns (six), whilst being named second-team All-American.
Blocking:
+ Regularly lined up at wing and H-back, where he was asked to execute insert, sift blocks, etc. and showed good effort, digging a shoulder into guys
+ Continues to move and find work when used out of the backfield, often times going across the formation and wrapping around towards the defensive backfield
+ Gathers himself and is able to fit his hands inside on moving targets when brought across the formation or working out into space
+ Chooses appropriate angles detached from the line, to put his body in the way of guys in space depending on the direction of run plays, with the quick burst to still guide them off track enough if they are able to slip him or work around him
+ The Rams used Holker as the lead-blocker on that swing screen element you see particularly Shanahan coaches incorporate into the pattern at times
+ If one of his teammates catches the ball, Holker immediately transitions into being a blocker and shields defenders to spring those guys loose
Releases & route-running:
+ Builds up plenty of speed working down the seams and on benders
+ Very crisp in his breaks, to not lose any time going through and then accelerating out of them
+ Can sink his hips and snap off hitches, curls and hooks effectively, to create space
+ Understands how to use pacing and the right time to turn his head working against zone coverage, slowing himself from running into deep safeties
+ Regularly lined up out wide and you’d see him legitimately win on fades and drags from the X-spot
+ Shows an excellent awareness for when to work over a shallow zone defender and find open grass when his quarterback enters scramble mode
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Tracks the deep ball well over either shoulder, not losing focus with someone on his hip
+ Does well to use his large frame as a shield and absorb contact at the catch-point, leading to a 50% success rate in contested situations (10 of 20 such opportunities)
+ Showcases the flexibility and natural hands to pluck balls off his toes, with above-average arm length for his height (33-and-¼ inches with 10-and-¼ inch hands)
+ Had an unbelievable diving grab off a tipped pass on a Hail Mary to win the Boise State game in 2023
+ Has the frame and grit to deal with hits by a hang-corner or safety coming from depth, yet get right back up
+ Efficiently turns up the field after the catch and has better speed than he may give away at first with those long strides
+ Slightly veers away from defenders, packs a good swipe-by arm and the contact balance to bounce off hits – forced 15 missed tackles on 64 receptions last season and basically half of his yardage came after the catch (379)
Weaknesses:
– Doesn’t have much twitch and his 4.78 he ran at 241 pounds at the combine is a little underwhelming
– Wasn’t asked to line up next to the tackle and create displacement with a shorter runway towards defenders in the box – never earned a PFF run-blocking grade above 57.5 in his four seasons
– Has a wasted backwards step coming out of a stagged two-point stance from detached alignments and will need to develop a more refined and varied release package
– Will drift on his route stems and tip off defenders prematurely, limiting his ability to actually create separation
– Not the most natural at contorting his body for off-target grabs and takes his eyes off the ball and tries to run with it without securing the catch a few times – dropped four 68 catchable targets last season (5.9%)
Holker really emerged as one of the better tight-ends in college football this past season. Colorado State could have a first-round wide receiver in Tory Horton next year, but watching him throughout the season, there was big number five running with the ball and breaking tackles regularly. He projects more as an H-back at the next level, while needing to work on his ability to be an asset blocking in-line and getting off the ball better from one of the receiver spots if he wants to earn extending playing time. He’ll need to be coached up in terms of his discipline at setting up breaks and there’s some inconsistency hauling in passes on the run, but I don’t think it’s an issue with his hands. He has plenty of impressive over-the-shoulder and combat catches on tape. Plus, where he really stands out is that extra gear he has once he tucks the ball and runs through attempted tackles. Spending a fifth-round pick on a player like this seems worth it, if you think you can iron out some of the inconsistencies he currently shows.
10. Tip Reiman, Illinois
6’5”, 270 pounds; RS JR
A zero-star recruit in 2020, Reiman played in all eight games of the COVID-shortened season that year but primarily on special teams (zero catches). After being limited to three receptions (for 43 yards and one touchdown) in 2021, he hauled in 19 passes each of the last two seasons for a combined 377 yards and four TDs.
Blocking:
+ Has plus size for an oldschool Y tight-end, who latches his 10.5-inch hands empathically and really activates his lower half as a run-blocker
+ Quick to establish his first step and turn his hips to seal backside edge defenders or pin them on the front-side for plays to the perimeter
+ Displays the dexterity and power in his hands to apply force on an angle and wash down linebackers trying to shoot downhill in order to present cutback lanes
+ Urgent to erase space towards second-level defenders and brings his hips through contact to take control of those
+ Sturdy enough to swallow the charge of safeties when he has to be conservative with blocking them in space and guiding them, in order to give the ball-carrier an indication of where to go
+ Packs a lot of thump as he launches a shoulder into edge defenders on sift blocks or wrapping around for lead-blocks on power/counter concepts
+ Generally does a great job when his hands are on the edge/side of defenders, to push them just enough off track without grabbing cloth and drawing flags for it
+ Logged 80 snaps in pass-protection last season, where he has the sturdy base, hand-usage and length to deal with legit edge rushers for stretches
Releases & route-running:
+ Brings some strong hand-swipes to release off press from detached alignments and is able to defeat the leverage of guys close up on him
+ Has enough speed to pull away from defenders on shallow crossers, where his frame and long arms extend that window for the ball can be placed in front of him
+ Capable of sinking his hips and pretty making fluid transitions at 270 pounds
+ Runs some excellent pivot and return routes
+ Explosive in the way he clears underneath the formation and gets into slide routes for run-after-catch plays
+ Excels at standing up defenders and then cleanly releasing off play-action while being to control
Approaching the catch & YAC:
+ Consistently plucks the ball away from his frame, with some impressive grabs off the top shelf
+ Deals well with different pace on the ball and slowing it with his huge mitts – didn’t drop a single pass last season
+ Doesn’t need to slow down for passes typically and seems to gain speed through the transition to becoming a runner it appears like
+ Can stop his momentum and dip inside of defenders of his receivers blocking for him pretty well
+ You see the contact balance to bounce off big hits and keep going if guys don’t wrap up against him – 17 of his 19 catches last year resulted in either a first down or touchdown
+ Never seems to expose the ball or swing it away from his frame, typically approaching tacklers with low pad-level – has zero career fumbles on 41 total receptions
Weaknesses:
– Gets unnecessarily top-heavy and falls off more blocks than he should, especially working out to the perimeter on wide receiver screens
– Sort of lumbering out of his stance from the slot, not really threating the safety to his side on a vertical plane
– His routes currently lack detail and subtle elements to create advantages for himself and delay the reaction of off-man defenders at the break-point
– Allows slot defenders to slide in front of him, while he could be more violent with his plant-step and come out of his break flatter in order to create for friendly arrival openings for the ball
– Still developing the right feel for when to slow or stop himself in windows vs. zone coverage
In an era where 11 personnel is the new standard at pretty much all levels of football and tight-ends have often turned into more so glorified slot receivers, Reiman presents a throwback profile. Inside the box, he can be trusted with pretty much any assignment in the run game, since he can get to his spots quickly, offers adequate technique and the frame to not just create stalemates but actually “win” on contact. He’s not a dynamic receiving option detached from the line, whether he’s pushing vertically or tries to separate our of his breaks, while his ability to find and settle in open space will need to improve if he wants to make a living over the middle of the field. With that being said, I thought I did see an extra gear to get from even with to a step or two behind safeties during Shrine Bowl week and then he put together a pretty shocking combine performance. Showing up at 271 pounds, he participated in all the events and the only he didn’t perform in the 77th percentile or better at was the vertical jump, including an elite 10-yard split and 28 reps on the bench press – most of any non-lineman this year. I think he’ll be a valuable TE2 either way thanks to his blocking and he has the potential to turn into a starter eventually as he works on his craft as a receiver.
The next names up:
Jared Wiley (TCU), Jack Westover & Devin Culp (Washington), McCallan Castles (Tennessee), A.J. Barner (Michigan), Brevyn Spann-Ford (Minnesota) & Zach Heins (South Dakota State)
Halil's Real Footballtalk 