NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2019 -- TIGHT ENDS

The NFL has never been more tight end friendly, and this year's crop of prospects should only help in that regard. The top 10 is filled with athletes, guys who can catch the ball and stretch the field, be real weapons in the passing game.

It's rare to see one school have two top prospects, but that's exactly the case for Iowa, which has TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant. Each could vie for late first round consideration and look to have star potential for years to come.

What follows is a breakdown of the top five tight ends in this year's draft, each with an assigned Round Grade. The Round Grade is not a projection of where the player will be chosen, but where talent merits he be chosen. After the top five, all tight ends projected to be drafted will be listed.

1. TJ Hockenson/Iowa (ROUND GRADE: 1-2)

PROS: Smooth, versatile route runner; Soft hands; Very good blocker, best combination tight end in the draft; Decent in jump ball situations; Tough to tackle; Understands and utilizes leverage as a blocker; Very good technique and understanding of responsibiliities

CONS: Not super fast, more quick; Not a great athlete; Lacks long speed

2.  Noah Fant/Iowa (ROUND GRADE: 1-2)

PROS: Can run every route and understands how to use his feet to create space; Good hands; Has the speed to get free over the middle and understands angles well enough to get you underneath, too; Excellent leaping ability; Very good after the catch; Excellent body control; Off the charts athletic ability

CONS: Doesn’t make defenders miss very much in space; Only adequate as a blocker; Not exceptionally strong

3.  Irv Smith Jr/Alabama (ROUND GRADE: 2)

PROS: Good route runner; Understands how to break off pattern to get defender off balance; Good vertical threat; Excellent run blocker; Good balance and understanding of angles makes him a YAC threat; A real competitor, brings it all the time

CONS: Hasn’t made a ton of difficult catches; Doesn’t always explode off LOS; Lacks true  burst; Tends to slow down going into breaks

4.  Kaden Smith/Stanford (ROUND GRADE: 3)

PROS: Has the size and athleticism the league covets; Good burst off the LOS, precise into and out of breaks; Will go across the middle; Excellent body control helps him snag inaccurate throws; Good strength as a blocker

CONS: Route running still a work in progress; Too easily thrown off his route by contact; Needs to win more battles with his hands as a blocker; Inconsistent separation ability

5.  Dax Raymond/Utah State (ROUND GRADE: 3-4)

PROS: Doesn’t get hung up by contact; Excellent bad ball catcher, has a wide catch radius; Loves working the middle of the field; Good speed, can separate after the catch; Physical after the catch; Looks smooth and fluid in open space; Very good athleticism and length

CONS: Needs more consistency as a route runner; Needs more polish and consistency as a blocker, doesn’t always drop his pad level low enough; Didn’t work much on pass pro in college; Wouldn’t hurt to add a bit more muscle and size; Will be 24 during the season and could need some development to multiple schemes of the NFL

6.    Jace Sternberger/Texas A&M (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

7.    Donald Parham/Stetson (ROUND GRADE: 5)

8.    Isaac Nauta/Georgia (ROUND GRADE: 5)

9.    Caleb Wilson/UCLA (ROUND GRADE: 5)

10. Trevon Wesco/West Virginia (ROUND GRADE: 5-6)

11. Dawson Knox/Ole Miss (ROUND GRADE: 6)

12. Tommy Sweeney/Boston College (ROUND GRADE: 6)

13. CJ Conrad/Kentucky (ROUND GRADE: 6-7)

14. Keenen Brown/Texas State (ROUND GRADE: 6-7)

15. Alize Mack/Notre Dame (ROUND GRADE: 6-7)

16. Josh Oliver/San Jose State (ROUND GRADE: 7)

17. Foster Moreau/LSU (ROUND GRADE: 7)

18. Drew Sample/Washington (ROUND GRADE: 7)

 

2018 Top Impact Freshman Tight Ends

The days of the the tight end being used as another tackle are over -- replaced by sleek, smooth, fluid athletes who can line up all over the field and make plays in space.

As more and more teams look for ways to create mismatches in the passing game, tight ends are being utilized in every fashion imaginable -- in the backfield, in the slot, out wide, even as a hybrid motion man. Linebackers aren't fast enough to keep up and safeties aren't always big enough to handle tight ends one on one. So the chances are there for these players to shine, and there are a number of them coming into the game in 2018.

The following are not the top tight ends recruited, but the tight ends with the biggest opportunity to make an impact in 2018. Positional ranking is included.

Miami's Brevin Jordan (Palm Beach Post)

2018 TOP 5 IMPACT TIGHT ENDS
1. Brevin Jordan/Miami Fla (TE1) -- A four-star talent and Miami's top rated recruit, Jordan is the prototype for today's tight end -- fast, good hands the moves of a running back in the open field. He's a solid blocker, too, and can line up anywhere in the formation. Just another explosive weapon for the Hurricanes to utilize. Was in for spring ball and is the favorite to start at tight end.
2. Kyle Pitts/Florida (TE 11) -- Another four star talent, Pitts chose the Gators over Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Miami, among others. Pitts has imposing size (6-6, 250) and uses his body well to shield defenders, making him an inviting red zone target. A very good blocker, Pitts will be an asset in the ground attack and can still go out into a pattern and create problems.
3. Jeremy Ruckert/Ohio State (TE2) -- Quite possibly the most naturally-gifted tight end Urban Meyer has ever recruited -- and he's had some good ones. The four-star Ruckert can run past linebackers down the seam and is too big for safeties to handle alone. In the Buckeyes new-look offense, Ruckert could be the one who changes the tradition of OSU tight ends being used as glorified tackles. Great with the ball in his hands, Ruckert should have ample opportunity to get on the field, if not start, in 2018.
4. Chig Okonkwo/Maryland (TE23) -- A bit of a sleeper, the athletic three-star is fluid in his movements and built more like a receiver -- at least for the moment. That means he can stretch the field for an emerging Maryland offense. He will need to put on size if he's to help as a blocker, but for now he should be able to damage as a flex tight end.
5. Leonard Taylor/Cincinnati (TE16) -- A nice pick up by Bearcats coach Luke Fickell, who nabbed Taylor out of Springfield, Ohio. A four-star talent, Taylor was Cincinnati's top 2018 signee and should be in line for immediate playing time. A big, imposing target, Taylor will be looked at in the red zone and on third down.

Just Missed: Mustapha Muhammad/Michigan (TE6); Spencer Webb/Oregon (TE11); Dallin Holker/BYU (TE46); Brevyn Spann-Ford/Minnesota (TE40); James Mitchell/Virginia Tech (WR62); TJ Banks/West Virginia (ATH34); Isaiah Likely/Coastal Carolina (NR)