Tightends
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Tightends
1. Brandon Pettigrew – Oklahoma State
Height: 6′5″ | Weight: 263 | 40 Time: 4.83 | BroadJump: 9′10″ | Projected: 1st Round
Upside: Tremendous blocker who can control his man and seal the edge. Physically imposing and has great size for the position. Has great hands and has solid character.
Downside: Lacks ideal speed to threaten the seam. Pettigrew is very deliberate when running his routes. Needs to get in and out of his breaks faster.
Bottom Line: The best combination player in this draft, as Pettigrew is a superior blocker and has solid hands. He is a physical throwback tightend that will make his living driving defenders off the point in a running game.
2. James Casey – Rice
Height: 6′3″ | Weight: 246 | 40 Time: 4.66 | BroadJump: 9′8″ | Projected: 3rd Round
Upside: Played minor league baseball three years previous to the 2007 season. Casey has terrific ball skills and hand eye coordination. Could fit well in an H-Back role.
Downside: Doesn’t have great size but is big enough. Will be a 24-year old rookie. Is not overly explosive and might struggle to gain separation.
Bottom Line: While Casey isn’t as big or as fast as scouts would prefer, he possesses the receiving skills that will get him drafted. Casey will make an offense better, as he understands playing at a professional level and takes the games seriously.
3. Jared Cook – South Carolina
Height: 6′5″ | Weight: 246 | 40 Time: 4.50 | BroadJump: 10′3″ | Projected: 2nd Round
Upside: Freakish athletic ability. Cook has the body of a tightend but the skill set of a wide receiver. Cook showed up to Indianapolis and wowed scouts with his 4.5 forty yard dash, 10′3″ broad jump, and a sick 41 inch vertical.
Downside: Did not have great college stats and would have helped himself had he stayed at school. Not a great blocker and isn’t very physical.
Bottom Line: Cook’s upside and athletic potential is what will get him drafted on the first day. He’s got unbelievable speed and needs to go to a pass happy team that can use his ability to create mismatches.
4. Chase Coffman – Missouri
Height: 6′6″ | Weight: 247 | 40 Time: NA | BroadJump: NA | Projected: 3rd Round
Upside: Great pass catcher and a sharp route runner. Has prototypical size and understands how to find the open spaces in the defense.
Downside: Is not a reliable blocker and was not asked to do a lot of blocking in college. Limited upside with his lack of speed, VERY slow. Durability is a concern as well.
Bottom Line: Very tall, pass catching tight end, who needs to improve his blocking to stick around in this league. He will pose mismatches all over the field and starter for a while. High floor but a low ceiling.
5. Travis Beckum – Wisconsin
Height: 6′3″ | Weight: 245 | 40 Time: 4.61 | BroadJump: NA | Projected: 3rd Round
Upside: Very intriguing athlete who was recruited to Wisconsin as a linebacker. Good leaping ability and great hands to make the tough catch.
Downside: Durability is a concern, as he missed the first two games of his senior year with a hamstring injury and was lost for the year with a broken fibula. Not a good blocker. Not creative after the catch.
Bottom Line: Beckum is a big time athlete that can make plays in the passing game. He will need to be brought in on passing downs at first but would fit best as an H-Back or multidimensional position.
6. Shawn Nelson – Southern Mississippi
Height: 6′5″ | Weight: 240 | 40 Time: 4.56 | BroadJump: 9′7″ | Projected: 3rd Round
Upside: Small school product who is a great receiver. Has NFL bloodlines, as his cousin is Glen Dorsey. Has shown to be a very willing blocker.
Downside: Rail thin and narrow hipped. Will struggle to hold the point of attack if he’s required to block a more physical player. Not creative and is a bit straight line-ish in his movements.
Bottom Line: This guy was great in position drills at the combine and Mike Mayock had a man-crush on him throughout the whole week. Nelson has a ton of upside but he needs to find a way to add on weight.
7. Cornelius Ingram – Florida
Height: 6′4″ | Weight: 245 | 40 Time: 4.68 | BroadJump: NA | Projected: 4th Round
Upside: Very natural athlete that played quarterback in high school and played guard on the Florida basketball team. Has a great body to present size mismatches.
Downside: Missed all of his senior season with a torn ACL. Not a good blocker and is not physical off of the line. Might struggle to beat the jam and gain separation.
Bottom Line: Would have been a much higher pick if it weren’t for his knee injury and an offense that didn’t feature the tight end. Ingram has a chance to be a good pro because of his superior athleticism.
8. Anthony Hill – NorthCarolina State
Height: 6′5″ | Weight: 262 | 40 Time: 4.81 | BroadJump: 8′11″ | Projected: 5th Round
Upside: Good size and is a solid base blocker. Is a load to bring down and can create plays. Good work ethic.
Downside: Lacks elite top end speed and strength. Durability is a huge concern as Hill tore his ACL in his left knee and has had tendinitis issues in his right knee.
Bottom Line: Is a mature player who should be able to absorb a playbook. Shields his body well and knows how to take a hit. Durability will need to be evaluated but has starter potential.
9. Richard Quinn – North Carolina
Height: 6′4″ | Weight: 264 | 40 Time: 4.88 | BroadJump: 9′11″ | Projected: 5th Round
Upside: Very physical tightend who fires off the line of scrimmage into his man. Tough kid who played with a cast on his hand.
Downside: Not an elusive athlete. Not used extensively in the passing game. Does not possess after the catch ability. Is nothing more than a glorified blocker.
Bottom Line: Needs to catch on with a run-first team that relies on heavy handed tight ends with great feet and solid work ethic.
10. Bear Pascoe – Fresno State
Height: 6′5″ | Weight: 251 | 40 Time: 4.95 | BroadJump: 8′11″ | Projected: 6th Round
Upside: Easily the best name in this draft. Given name is McKenna but he goes by “bear”. Pascoe is an accomplished rodeo roper and an interesting athlete. He has great size and very functional strength.
Downside: Does not possess top end speed. Struggles to get separation and won’t threaten the seam. Not good after the catch.
Bottom Line: A better football player than an athlete at this point. Pascoe is a functional blocker, reliable pass catcher, and a smart player. He will catch on as a team’s 2nd or 3rd Tight End with his prototype size and pro style experience.
