Thursday, March 12, 2009

2009 NFL Draft : Tight End

Travis Beckum, TE, 6'3" 243, Wisconsin = An H-Back type with good speed. Showed improvement yearly, but has battled injuries to his leg and shoulders. Decent blocker, but not the type on TE who will be able to line up next to the OT. Has the ability to make a difficult catch, but tends to take too many passes in his body. Will help the right team with the right system. Should go on the second day.


Richard Quinn, TE, 6'4" 264, North Carolina = Hardly used as a receiver in college, but is an excellent blocker on running plays. Not very quick, but has good hands. He may not be used much in the passing game in the pros either, but can stick on a team needing a solid blocking TE. Might not get drafted.


Davon Drew, TE, 6'4" 256, East Carolina = H-Back type who is able to line up in the slot. Runs good routes and is bullish with the ball in his hands. Good receiving skills, but needs to improve his blocking. High effort player who might get drafted on the second day.


Brandon Pettigrew, TE, 6'5" 263, Oklahoma State = Excellent blocker who thrives on making contact. Has good athleticism and runs hard after making a catch. Very raw, but has a huge upside. Might make an impact right away. Should be one of the first TE's drafted.


Kory Sperry, TE, 6'5" 238, Colorado = Missed most of last year due to a knee injury. Lined up all over Colorado's offense. Has very good speed and leaping ability. Has special hands and body control. Needs to gain more muscle and improve his blocking ability. Could be used as an H-Back or in the slot. A first day draft selection.


Marquez Branson, TE, 6'2" 247, Central Arkansas = H-Back or FB type. Good blocker with above average speed. Has big hands, and a long wing span. Good receiver who will need to add bulk if he stays at TE. Possible first day draft choice.


Dan Gronkowski, TE, 6'6" 256, Maryland = Could be next in a long line of Terps TE's in the NFL. Excellent run blocker and a reliable receiver. Not very fast nor athletic, but gives a big target. Could be a blocking type used in short passing attempts. Will get looked at on the drafts second day because he is very strong.


Jared Cook, TE, 6'5" 246, South Carolina = Blazing fast and can jump out of the stadium. Freakish athlete who will need to refine his pass route running and blocking. Can make the spectacular catch, yet drop the easy one. Needs to hone his focus. Will be drafted on the first day.


Bear Pascoe, TE, 6'5 251, Fresno State = An intriguing prospect. Strong with the ball, but not exceptionally fast. Improving blocker who needs more work on his technique. Uses his body well, but is a former QB still learning the position. An old school type who can add depth to some team possibly. Will get a look on the second day of the draft.


Jared Bronson, TE, 6'4" 253, Central Washington = Good athlete with nice size and speed. Sound receiver who needs to improve his blocking technique and leg strength. Should go in day two.


Cornelius Ingram, TE, 6'4" 245, Florida = Missed last season due to a knee injury, so there is a concern on how much he will be the same guy as before. Had long arms and soft hands. Quick and used his body well. Tough over the middle, and a decent blocker. Not very fast, but able to line up in the slot. If he has recovered 100%, he can be special. Teams may draft him in the mid-rounds gambling on his full return.


John Phillips, TE, 6'5" 251, Virginia = Smart player with good hands. Has the ability to recognize the soft spots in defenses. An effort blocker, but not very quick. Needs to bulk up more to be an NFL TE who provides good blocking. Not fast enough to be much of a passing threat. Will get a look after the draft.


James Casey, TE, 6'3" 246, Rice = Excellent athlete who is a former QB and pro baseball player. Might have a tough time finding an NFL position. His athleticism could have him at TE, FB, or H-Back. Can line up anywhere and produce. Has good hands and is deceptively fast. Looks to run through opponents after the catch. Could be special in the right system. Will have people looking at him in the second day.


Anthony Hill, TE, 6'5" 262, NC State = Strong with long arms and soft hands. Good blocker. Not very quick or fast, and had a bad knee injury in 2007 that needs to be looked at. May get drafted on the second day.


David Johnson, TE, 6'2" 260, Arkansas State = Might be a FB or H-Back in the NFL. Has very good speed and decent hands. A willing blocker with excellent leg strength and good footwork, but must improve his hand play. Has experience on special teams. A second day type of selection.


Eddie Williams, TE, 6'1" 239, Idaho = Has FB size, but is not a good blocker. Can play in the slot, but does not have NFL spped to do so at the next level. Has very good hands. Plays special teams well, so that may be his best shot at sticking. Will have to get a tryout after the draft.


Shawn Nelson, TE, 6'5" 240, Souther Mississippi = Long arms and has decent hands. Has good speed. Needs to add weight and improve his blocking. Showed little progression through college, so his ceiling may not be too high. A free agent type.


Chase Coffman, TE, 6'6" 244, Missouri = Won the Mackey Award last year, and his dad was an NFL TE. Has very good hands and runs sharp routes. Uses his body well, and runs hard after the catch. Had injuries to his foot last year, so will have to be checked out. Will have to prove he can block out of a three point stance. Could be the first TE drafted.


Rob Myers, TE, 6'3" 243, Utah State = Former WR who is an H-Back prospect. Has very good speed and quickness. Decent blocker. Must get bigger and improve his catching technique. Has been injury prone in college. Second day type of prospect.


Cameron Morrah, TE, 6'3" 244, Cal = Has good hands and long arms. Pretty quick and displays above average speed. Has soft hands, but drops too many easy balls. Must get bigger and stronger, as well as improve his blocking ability. Second day type of draft pick.


Brian Mandeville, TE, 6'6" 254, Northeastern = Runs good routes and displays good hands with long arms. Able to sit in the soft spots of the zone. Should gain more weight. Not a burner, so will have to prove he can block in the NFL to make it. May not get drafted.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

yeah Pettigrew is pretty amazing! i'm lovin these 3rd! gotta show love for the Rice Alumni too, Casey!!