The tight end position is replete with intriguing prospects and huge question marks this season.
Many of the top players at the position are working back from major injuries or have limited experience at the collegiate levels. We are evaluating basketball post moves, field presence at other positions and how players adapt to new systems.
My love of the tight end position is well-documented. I celebrate the renaissance at the position, and the growth and development of dominant pass-catching options across the league. It was long a position with only a couple top options (Tony Gonzalez is still going strong), but the new age has dawned.
Here are 10 players set to join the new golden age, led by a potential monster.
1. Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
Gresham clearly has the physical measures to be a beast at the next level. He stands 6-5 and tips the scales at 260 pounds with an ability to create space and dominate the red zone. Gresham scored a total of 25 touchdowns in the last two seasons he played for the Sooners.
Unfortunately, Gresham’s resume has a huge, flashing red light attached. He’s sustained severe injuries to both knees during his football career, including the torn ligaments in his right knee that kept him off the field in 2009.
2. Jimmy Graham, Miami
Graham is the player that stands out as a raw, untested physical specimen in this year’s draft. The comparisons to Antonio Gates will be there because of his extended run as a member of the Miami basketball team.
In fact, Graham’s game work in 2009 was his first foray into the world of football since his freshman year in high school. That’s the big question regarding his selection. Graham has the physical stature to get into the mix and tested his mettle on the basketball court. Five of his 17 receptions went for touchdowns last season.
3. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
Gronkowski has the size and hands to become a force in the NFL. He also gets high marks for his blocking skills, an attribute that definitely helps to boost his draft score. At 6-6, Gronkowski has the ability to go up and over opposing defenders and excels in route-running. He scored 16 touchdowns in two seasons with the Wildcats.
Unfortunately, Gronkowski is another player trying to overcome a severe injury. He missed the 2009 season with a severe back injury (herniated disc and nerve damage), but the upside is tremendous.
4. Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
Dickerson played all over the field in his Pittsburgh career. He started as a wide receiver, worked some at linebacker and then finally became a starter as a tight end last year. Dickerson posted eye-popping numbers in his lone season as the starter with 49 receptions, including 10 touchdowns.
He has good hands and posted a brilliant 4.4-second 40-yard time at the NFL Combine. Obviously, there’s still some learning to be done, but the physical tools are definitely there for Dickerson to grow.
5. Ed Dickson, Oregon
Of all of the highly-ranked members at this position, Dickson is the first without a gaping hole on his resume. Dickson started for three seasons at Oregon and doubled his touchdown output in 2009.
He has demonstrated a willingness to work over the middle and has enough speed off of the line to run deeper routes. Dickson will have to adjust to a pro-set attack following three years in the high-flying Oregon offense. He’s got the goods to make the transition.
6. Aaron Hernandez, Florida
Hernandez won the Mackey Award last season as a highly-productive receiving option for Tim Tebow. He doubled his reception total from 2008 and more than doubled his yardage total.
Hernandez adjusted his routes well to aid Tebow’s improvisational efforts and showed tremendous quickness and vision following the catch. Hernandez might be smaller than the top-tier prospects at the position this year, but his skillset is more refined.
7. Dennis Pitta, BYU
Pitta was a prolific pass-catcher for BYU in three seasons following his return from his two-year mission. In fact, his 2,900 career receiving yards established a new NCAA mark. He averaged 13.1 yards per catch during his career with Cougars and demonstrated great route-running skills and excellent hands. At 6-4 and 245 pounds, Pitta has the measureabilities that fit the prototype and could become a PPR threat.
8. Anthony McCoy, USC
McCoy averaged an astounding 20.8 yards per catch for the Trojans last season. He matched his 2008 total of 22 receptions with one touchdown, so McCoy’s collegiate stats aren’t exactly eye-popping. However, the aforementioned receiving average certainly indicates that there might be some untapped potential in his 6-4, 260-pound frame.
9. Tony Moeaki, Iowa
If you watched Big 10 football this past season, you probably heard Moeaki’s name mentioned and saw him in the highlight reels. He made a number of big catches for the Hawkeyes and was undoubtedly a “go-to” option … when he was on the field. Unfortunately, that’s the big catch with Moeaki. He worked through myriad injuries during his Iowa career, a factor that will impact his draft status.
Seriously, you could produce the “what’s hurting?” pieces and highlight almost every part of his body. Moeaki was a good blocker and demonstrated a willingness to work in traffic (that certainly didn’t help the injury count). Can he stay healthy in the NFL?
10. Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
Graham’s role in the Wisconsin offense grew year over year, and he demonstrated skills as both a receiver and blocker for the always-potent Badgers ground game. He caught 51 passes, including seven touchdowns, in his final season. Graham knows how to create space over the middle and proved to be an integral part of the red-zone play-calling.
