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Tight Ends
Charted comments are mostly drawn from NFL Draft Scouts.com narratives (shown in black) with comments from additional sources shown in different colors. BRS = Red Sporting News War Room = Orange. USA Today = Green. Surefire Scouting = Purple. PFW = Blue
Cards added a blocking TE in Jereme Tuman (Steelers). If he still has anything left, he should represent an automatic blocking upgrade to our O-line while allowing Pope, Beinemann (who signed his tender) and Patrick to continue maturing. This draft is not deep in TE's who can both catch and block let alone block. Our  guess is that the Cards will be content to continue developing youngsters Pope and Patrick.
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
1 Craig Stevens, Cal 6-3 255 4.59 27 1.58 2.65 32 9-6 4.32 11.78 7.07 --

Pro Day - Had a 32½-inch vertical jump, 9-foot, 6-inch long jump, ran position drills and kept his numbers from the combine for everything else.

BRS (Gollin)  - Cards got lucky when Patrick dropped to them a year ago. They have Pope and added Tuman. If they were to draft a TE (or sign one in free agency) our guess is that he'd have to be a blocking terror. Which is why we've rated Stevens so high.

The Sporting News War Room - He projects as a backup who will probably become a starter down the road bcause of his consistency.

Surefire Scouting  - No write up

PFW - A good-sized physical blocker. Stevens has the football temperament to develop into a complete TE if he can become a more secure catcher.

Physical Has a solidly built frame with ideal hand size for his position...Added more bulk and muscle mass to his frame prior to his senior year, but is probably at maximum growth potential without any more bulk impacting his good timed speed (also must play up to that speed, as he needs to refine his start off the snap)...Has a big chest, wide back and thick thighs and calves
Speed Has good timed speed to be a threat downfield...Won't win any foot races in the open field...Needs to show better suddenness off the snap
Hands Has the large hands to reach and pluck for the ball...Has some concentration issues, as he looks to run before properly securing the ball, resulting in drops and fumbles.
Blocking Better cut blocker or when attacking second-level defenders, as he does not always generate a strong base to prevent the bigger defenders from walking him back into the pocket when working in-line...has the kick slide, hand placement and punch to mirror edge rushers better than when taking on down linemen in-line...When used on the move, he lowers his pads to drive through hard to widen rush lane...Has the ability to bend and sustain in one-on-one situations and has the body control to get out and attack linebackers, staying in their face until the whistle...Runs his feet to finish and will pancake a second-level defender that gets in his way.
Route Running Will need to refine his route running skills...Cuts better in the short area (will drift on long routes)
Toughness Fearless fighting through a crowd to extend for the ball, sacrificing his body in the process
Ball Skills good target in the crowd, as he extends for the ball well
Misc./Intangibles No comments.
Resembles Jeff King
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
2 Martellus Bennett*, Tex. A&M 6-6 258 4.68 17 1.54 2.68 34 9-9 4.54 -- 7.63 --
Pro Day - Bennett ran position drills only, and let the rest of his measurables stand from the combine

BRS (Gollin)  -Bennett can block. Thus his #2-ranking here.

The Sporting News War Room - Uncommon ability to become a dominant blocker and good receiver. He is not a deep threat like Kellen Winslow or Antonio Gates.

Surefire Scouting  - Not overwhelming as a receiver but he is a complete TE. He is a tough competitor who will push for a starting job early in his career.

PFW - Has a terrific blend of size, agility and foot quickness and could develop into an outstanding pro if he ever figures out the meaning of hard work.

Physical Has a tall, thick frame with a V-shaped torso, long limbs, large hands, big bubble, wide hips, thick thighs and calves and room to carry more bulk without impacting his overall quickness
Speed Has adequate speed, but runs with a normal stride...Needs to show more explosion coming out of his stance and accelerate quicker in the open field, as he does not always live up to his timed speed
Hands Showed improvement extending for the ball outside his frame as a senior, but he will revert to body catching and drops too many
Blocking Shows good positioning blocking on the edge, as he is adept in sliding his feet back and moving laterally to pick up the blitz....When he keeps his pad level down, he is much more efficient generating a strong hand punch, but must remain patient, as he tends to overextend on reach blocks...Shows intent as a blocker and has the base to effectively hold his ground at the point of attack (will get walked back when he gets too upright in his stance, though)Good stalker for cut blocks at the second level, showing intent to punish the linebackers...Active with his feet in attempts to leverage when blocking on the move...Needs to stand more flat-footed coming off the snap to maintain balance and leg drive when pulling....While he shows good intent as a blocker, he needs to show better angle awareness, as he will fall off blocks and overextends
Route Running Needs route refinement, as he takes soft-angle cuts too often and will drift quite a bit when having to go long distances...prone to running into spots rather than trying to find the soft areas to settle under
Toughness Likes to block and plays with good aggression. Has the hand strength and physical nature to get off the press
Ball Skills/RAC Lacks a burst heading upfield, but has the strength to power through tackles (
Misc./Intangibles Does well in school and has no problem taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field
Resembles Kevin Boss
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
3 Martin Rucker, Missouri 6-4 250 4.71 21 -- -- 37 9-2 4.50 -- 7.07 --
Pro Day - This workout was held on March 20, as Rucker was a no-show at the March 6 pro day… Ran the 40 in 4.71 and 4.78, had a 37-inch vertical jump, 9-foot, 2-inch long jump, 4.50 short shuttle, 7.07 cone drill, ran position workout and kept everything else from the combine.

Senior Bowl (TSN War Room) - Was especially strong as a blocker on Wednesday. He got his hands on defenders quickly, locked out and maintained contact. He also ran sharp routes even though he wasn't explosive off the ball. He caught the ball well.

BRS (Gollin)  - A Novacek type receiver/TE tweener. Very good, but we don't need one of those.

The Sporting News War Room - Has the tools to become an NFL starter.

Surefire Scouting  - Rutgers is going to have to make the transition into becoming more of a tradional TE. He has the physical tools to eventually become a solid in-line player.

PFW - Will fit in as a finesse H-Back in the pros and will need to be motioned and slotted to be effective.

Physical Has a good-sized frame that can carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk without having it impact his overall quickness...Has just adequate upper-body mass, but shows a good bubble and thick thighs and calves, along with long arms and large, soft, natural hands
Speed Has good timed speed, but lacks the explosive initial step...Very good speed for his position (needs to play with better urgency getting off the snap)...Even with his adequate change-of-direction agility, he moves well in space and gets to his top acceleration once he clears the line...Has a better burst on short routes than when going vertical, but his foot quickness at the top of the route lets him set defenders up in attempts to separate...has the ability to stretch the defense and pull the safety out of coverage.
Hands Will sometimes lose concentration and pull his head away from the ball, causing drops
Blocking lacks the strength to be a physical tight end, especially when asked to block in pass protection or the ground game
Route Running Has a good feel for locating the soft areas in the second level, doing a nice job of sitting down or coming back for the ball...Savvy route runner who might lack explosion off the snap, but builds to top speed, especially when running shallow crossing routes, as he sticks and stems well when lining up in the slot to get to the short throws...Will take some soft-angle cuts, but has the feet to gather, using head fakes and angles to elude
Toughness Needs more strength to compete for the ball in a crowd, but can jump and take the ball away from defenders at the high point...Liability as a blocker, lacking the power and most importantly, the desire to face up to the more physical defenders...
Ball Skills On his shorter routes, he often lets the ball into his body, but he appears natural getting to the quarterback's quick slant...Shows good elevation on jump balls, using his long arms to "play bigger" than his size indicates.
Misc./Intangibles Better fit as an H-Back than a classic "Y" receiver. Smart, instinctive player who takes plays from the chalk board to the field...till needs to mature off the field and show better dedication to training and the weight room...Fun-loving type, a bit spoiled, but is all business on the football field
Resembles  
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
4  Dustin Keller, Purdue 6-2 238 4.55 26 1.64 2.66 41 10-11 3.94 11.74 6.88 --

Pro Day - Had a 41-inch vertical jump, 3.94 short shuttle, ran position drills and kept his combine numbers for everything else.

BRS (Gollin)  - Shot up the charts like gang-busters. That 41 inch vertical jump is sure to catch everyone's attention. Can't block. Not interested.

The Sporting News War Room - Although he doesn't have the best hands, Keller is a productive TE who always finds a way to make a play. He is also a converted WR and it shows in his blocking.

Surefire Scouting  - No write up

PFW - Keller projects to an H-Back in the pros. He will give effort as a blocker but his size and blocking limitations will limit his value. Strong post season workouts will likely draw more interest.

Physical Oversized wide receiver trapped in a marginally-sized tight end's body...Has marginal size for the classic tight end position and is best used in a move-oriented (H-Back) formation to get the best out of his ability...Has a cut, defined frame with good muscle tone, tight waist and hips, good arm reach, very large hands, adequate bubble and defined calves and thighs
Speed Has the timed speed to quickly run the seam...Has the second gear to gobble up the cushion and get behind a lethargic defender...Despite his quickness, he is not considered a deep threat that can challenge the secondary often...Can separate and stretch the field down the middle
Hands Has adequate hands, but would be much better if he would extend for the ball outside his frame better...Has the large hands to reach for and pluck the ball, but lacks good consistency
Blocking Must totally revamp his blocking technique, as he spends too much time catching defenders with his hands and will generally get those hands outside his frame, allowing the opponent to make a quick move over his outside shoulder...Must do a better job of anchoring and running his feet when asked to block in-line, but he also does not possess the raw power to hold his ground firmly at the point of attack....poor cut blocker, as he fails to execute good angles to get out and neutralize second-level defender
Route Running Shows the vision to locate the void and settle underneath...Runs good straight-line routes and can sink his pads to settle underneath, but is best when used on the move...Has good field vision and comes back for the ball when the quarterback is in trouble...lacking crisp cutting ability to come out of his breaks cleanly...sometimes breaks off his route too early...Good on the short, five-yard bend-out, but must extend his hands better on shallow crossing patterns
Toughness It is not as if he lacks courage, but he does tend to shy away from contact going for the ball in a crowd...needs to show more desire to use it in his blocking technique
Ball Skills Better in the short area, as he has trouble tracking the ball in flight on deep routes (does not swivel his head well to look the ball in over his shoulder)...Has good leaping ability, but needs to develop timing to win more jump balls...Does a good job bending and adjusting for low throws (not as good going for the ball above his head) ...marginal ability to track the deep throws...
Misc./Intangibles Has had minor injury issues, but will play through pain...His weight-room strength fails to translate to the football field...Can retain plays, but despite good academics and knowledge to play multiple positions, he needs more than a few reps to retain...Does have concentration lapses catching the ball...Hard worker in practices and in the training room, displaying impressive strength (has good power
Resembles Eric Johnson
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
5 Fred Davis, USC 6-2 254 4.68 24 -- -- 33 9-8 4.68 -- 7.36 --
Pro Day - Ran the 40 in 4.68 and 4.69, had a 33-inch vertical jump, 9-foot, 8-inch long jump, 4.68 short shuttle, 7.36 cone drill, ran position drills.

Senior Bowl (TSN War Room) - Davis continued his strong week, showing the athleticism, speed and quickness to run precise routes. He got open and caught the ball consistently well; even with a defender on his back.

BRS (Gollin)  - Well, maybe Matt Leinart has inside info on the guy, but we're really not very excited about TE's who can't block.

The Sporting News War Room - He can make big catches, but the ability to make a big impact by lining up in various locations is a big part of his value.

Surefire Scouting  - His body build is similar to Antonio Gates. Davis plays a physical game and has the mentality to refine his blocking skills. He is the most natural receiving TE in this year's crop and his athleticism and quickness are top notch. He will be a solid starter in the NFL.

PFW - A pumped up converted receiver who outgrew the position but still shows many natural body movements of a receiver.  Has not shown the strength or desire to be effective in the blocking game.

Physical Has a thick chest with muscular arms, thick thighs and calves, very long arms, large hands and a frame that can carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk without having the added weight impact his overall quickness
Speed Has good speed, but is sometimes late off the snap... Has enough of a valid burst to threaten the deep secondary and is sudden in his moves operating in space...Has that second gear to elude after the catch
Hands Will sometimes cradle the ball, but can extend and catch with ease without losing his concentration when working in a crowd...Has large, natural hands, extending outside of his frame to win jump-ball battles and is conscious to ball security, holding on to the ball well vs. initial contact.
Blocking Has worked hard to improve his blocking technique, but is better as a cut blocker than when operating in-line...Not physical on contact and seldom able to control and finish when asked to block vs. bigger defensive linemen...Makes an inconsistent effort to quickly reach the second level and is seldom able to gain position or control the defender (needs to stay with his blocks longer in the open field and will shy away from contact at times)....Needs to improve his overall strength, as he lacks the ideal power and body mass to be an efficient lead blocker at the next level
Route Running Will work to get open, showing good hand-eye coordination and concentration tracking the ball in flight...Quick plant-and-drive type (was not in the past) who works hard to uncover and will battle for the contested ball....precise making his cuts in attempts to reach top speed.
Toughness Lacks ideal size and bulk, but compensates with long arms and good timing on his leaps to win most jump-ball battles...needs to be more physical making initial contact as a blocker
Ball Skills He can extend and adjust to the ball in flight...Times his leaps well to catch the high throws and uses his long arms to extend over the defender or make the scoop grabs along his shoestrings...Makes good body adjustments going up for the ball, but needs to give up his body better in attempts to secure the catch in crowded areas.
Misc./Intangibles Adequate student who needs several reps to retain plays
Resembles Chris Cooley
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
6 Brad Cottam, Tennessee 6-7 269 4.63 24 1.58 2.62 33   4.27 -- 7.22 --

Pro Day - Had a 36 ½-inch vertical jump, 4.27 short shuttle, 7.22 cone drill, ran position drills and kept his numbers from the combine for everything else. Cottam looked good in his workout, catching everything. He had 24 receptions in his senior season

Senior Bowl (TSN War Room) - Cottam is trying to make his case to NFL teams after being injured much of his college career. His excellent build allows him to run through contact in his routes and make catches with defenders on his back. He lacks explosiveness off the ball, but once he gets moving he is smooth and quick in running routes. He showed very soft hands and consistently plucked the ball away from his body.

BRS (Gollin)  - Intriguing because of his Leonard Pope-like height. Well...maybe as an UDFA.

The Sporting News War Room - Intriguing because of his size and skill, but teams are wary about his injury history.

Surefire Scouting  - No write up

PFW - Big, tall, fairly athletic sure-handed target.

Physical Has the rare-sized frame you look for in a tight end with broad shoulders, thick bone structure, wide back and chest, tight waist, wide hips, thick thighs and calves, long limbs, good arm extension and large hands
Speed Has the speed to challenge most safeties in attempts to stretch the field...Quick-twitch athlete who shows good strength and explosion off the snap to defeat the press and get into his routes quickly
Hands Shows good arm extension to pluck the ball outside his frame and has the soft hands to look the ball in (will catch with his chest at times)
Blocking When he keeps his head up (inconsistent here), he works hard to gain leverage blocking in-line, but seems best when asked to shield and position rather than act as a drive blocker...Better blocking linebackers in the second level, where he shows good intent and stalking skills, along with the concept for taking proper angles...Very quick to get out and attack linebackers, as he is very seldom held up and often runs free off the line
Route Running Crisp route runner with the plant-and-drive agility to come out of his breaks with no wasted motion...Shows good route-progression agility, knowing when to drop his pads and execute a cut...it is rare to see him take soft-angle cuts or round off at the top of his pattern...Best when running digs, drags and option routes
Toughness With his size and arm reach, he should be catching more contested balls than he has, as he doesn't always jump and adjust to take the ball away from the defender, despite having the strength to do so.
Ball Skills Needs to win more jump balls, but this is more a concentration issue than a lack of athletic ability
Misc./Intangibles His one glaring weakness has been his inability to stay out of the trainer's room, as he has had five surgical procedures and a car acciden...Versatile athlete who has lined up in a variety of receiving roles (tight end, H-back, slot, fullback)...Gives total effort in practice and in games...Hard worker in the weight room and takes well to hard coaching...Can usually be found after practices putting in extra hours working on his pass-catching skills...Has a good grasp of the playbook and shows the field awareness and vision to locate the blitz and get into position to protect the pocket..
Resembles Zach Miller
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
7 Jermichael Finley*, Texas 6-4 240 4.66 19 1.67 2.78 28 9-8 4.39 11.84 7.16 --

TPro Day - Ran the 40 in 4.66, kept the rest of his numbers from the combine, and ran position drills.

BRS (Gollin)  - Talent drop off starts here.

The Sporting News War Room - He can make plays as a receiver but needs work on his blocking.

Surefire Scouting  - Far from being a finished product at this point, he can contribute as a receiver, but his lack of bulk and limited blocking ability will limit his playing time early in his career.

PFW - Has natural athleticism, body control and agility that cannot be taught but is by no means a finished product.

Physical Has a lanky frame with tapered muscles and can probably add another 20 pounds of bulk without the added weight affecting his overall quickness
Speed Adequate timed speed, but does not show the second gear to separate after the catch...Long strider who builds his acceleration
Hands Has large, natural hands, with good timing and arm extension to compete for the ball at its high point...Will "double catch" or trap the ball in a crowd, resulting in drops.
Blocking Marginal blocker who lacks the strength to anchor and gets too narrow in his base, allowing edge rushers to slip off his attempts to sustain (has some hip stiffness)...Also ineffective blocking in-line, as he lacks the lower-body strength to prevent bull rushers from pushing him back into the pocket
Route Running Still needs route refinement, but has improved adjusting his patterns to get open...Turns on the ball quickly when the quarterback is pressured and uses his size well to shield defenders...Needs to be more crisp in his long routes (soft angles), but does a nice job of uncovering and sitting down underneath...Showed marked improvement reading defenses as a junior, doing a nice job of finding and settling into the zone's soft area
Toughness Shows no flinch going up for the ball in a crowd...Has been mostly durable throughout his career
Ball Skills Shows the ball skills to position, extend and pluck the ball outside his frame...Above-average leaper who has no problem high-pointing the ball....Very fluid getting his head and body adjusted to make off-target catches and has good balance to keep his feet in bounds when working near the sidelin
Misc./Intangibles Has minimal amount of starting experience and needs to mature...Will sometimes lean into or out of his breaks...Plays with good emotion and, while a bit too talkative at times, he takes well to hard coaching
Resembles Randy McMichael
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
8 John Carlson, Notre Dame 6-5 252 4.67 19 1.68 2.84 35 9-4 4.28 11.59 7.13 --

Pro Day -Ran the 40 in 4.72 and 2.67, a 35 ½-inch vertical jump and kept his numbers from the combine for everything else. He worked out well and improved his numbers from the combine

BRS (Gollin)  - Another good catch/no block TE.

The Sporting News War Room - He makes clutch catches but must show significant improvement in his blocking technique and play more aggressively to be more than just an NFL backup.

Surefire Scouting  - His lack of in-line blocking prowess can improve with proper coaching. He has more upside than former ND tight end Anthony Fasano. Carlson's receiving skills, intelligence and character will attract teams in the early rounds.

PFW - He has shown over the course of his career value as a receiver and positional blocker. He has the size, receiving skills, intelligence and intangibles to contribute readily in the pros.

Physical Has good bone structure with a thick chest, broad shoulders and firm arm muscles...Has decent midsection definition, wide hips and thick thighs and calves...Shows good lower-body strength in the weight room
Speed Even though he is not the fastest on the field at his position, he has had decent success as a seam threat...Lacks the speed to turn upfield after the catch...lacks an array of moves and fails to generate a good burst to separate from defenders after the catch...Liability as a deep threat,
Hands  
Blocking Allows too much penetration when trying to block in-line and needs to use his hands when trying to seal and sustain blocks...Marginal in-line blocker, but takes good angles and will stalk linebackers when working in space...Lacks that punishing hand jolt to shock a defender and needs to anchor better, as he fails to roll his hips and plant his foot in the ground when facing up to the bull rush...When stood up at the line, the defender can latch on and walk him back into the pocket (must do a better job with his hand placement)...More of a waist bender, making him look sluggish trying to set up and recoil his hands in pass protection
Route Running Best when asked to locate the soft area and settle in the zone...Lacks the ability to make speed cuts, but gathers making his cuts and shows adequate straight-line quickness..Will drift and slow down considerably on long patterns)...Gets some separation off his cuts (only when he keeps his pads down) ...Needs to be quicker coming out of his stance and into his routes
Toughness Shows good toughness on the field and good courage going for the ball in a crowd...assertive in a crowd and his basketball leaping ability is evident when competing for the jump balls...likes contact working inside for the ball
Ball Skills Does a good job of tracking the ball and extending for the pass outside his frame...Needs to get his head around better and show better arm extension to look the ball in over his outside shoulder...
Misc./Intangibles Has a good work ethic and a team-first attitude...Adds to his value as a capable coverage defender, playing on all special teams...Self-starter who puts in the extra hours studying game film...Has had knee problems
Resembles Alex Smith
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
9 Tom Santi, Va. 6-3 251 4.65 138 1.70 2.81 36 10-1 4.27 11.83 7.08 --

Pro Day - Ran the 40 in 4.68 and 4.65, had 18 reps in the bench press, ran position drills and kept his combine numbers for everything else.

BRS (Gollin)  - Definitely a sleeper type selection who might turn out to be a UDFA surprise.

The Sporting News War Room - Good NFL backup who can contribute in a variety of alignments...type who often gets overvalued because of his versatilty and college production.

Surefire Scouting  - No write up

PFW - He has the toughness, work ethic and intelligence to make a roster and contribute. Solid late round pick.

Physical Good size and build for the position. ... Broad shouldered athlete with room for additional growth.
Speed Lacks explosiveness out of his cuts and struggles to generate true separation. ... Lacks the speed to attack down the seam.
Hands Soft hands. ... Looks the ball in and secures it before turning upfield aggressively to gain positive yardage
Blocking Good effort as an inline and second-level blocker. ... Good use of hands and fights to sustain. ... Can track defenders at the second level and works to keep his man from making the play
Route Running Intelligent route-runner who sets up defenders to generate separation...Runs solid routes
Toughness Fights for extra yardage
Ball Skills Marginal ability to track the ball over his shoulder. ... Marginal body control to adjust to the poorly thrown ball.
Misc./Intangibles Lacks top athleticism and is considered by some to be a bit of a finished product.
Resembles No comments
Rk Name/School Ht Wt 40 BP 10 20 VJ BJ 20S 60S 3C WU
10 Joey Haynos, Maryland 6-7 264 4.79 19 1.63 2.78 31 10-8 4.31 12.08 6.92 --

Pro Day - Ran the 40 in 4.81 and 4.79, had a 31 ½-inch vertical jump, 10-foot, 8-inch long jump, 4.31 short shuttle, 19 reps in the bench press, and ran position drills.

BRS (Gollin)  - Big. Not very fast. Nothing special here.

The Sporting News War Room - Shows the versatility to line up as an in-line TE, wingback, fullback or wide receiver. Haynos will eventually be a good all-around TE.

Surefire Scouting  - No write up

PFW - Very tall, lumbering bad-bodied natural catcher.

Physical Has a rare-sized frame, with long, lean limbs, very large hands and room to add at least another 15 pounds of bulk without having the additional weight impact his quickness...Has decent upper-body muscle development...but shows just adequate lower-body muscle development and strength
Speed Has the straight-ahead speed, arm extension and power to defeat the jam...initial quickness needed to get off the snap...