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Draft Dish: TE class lacks game-changers
By War Room scouts
For Sporting News
A quick look at the top senior tight ends heading into the 2007 college season:
1. Brad Cottam, Tennessee, 6-8, 270. Cottam is a big, athletic tight end with the tools to be a productive NFL receiver and blocker. He has not been a primary target at Tennessee -- partly because of great talent at wide receiver -- but is expected to be the go-to guy in '07. He shows good speed to beat linebackers down the seam. He runs good routes and shows a good burst out of cuts to separate. He has the size/strength to be a good blocker but must block with better leverage more consistently.
2. Craig Stevens, Cal, 6-3, 252. Stevens is built well and is ultra-competitive. He is a good athlete with good speed and knows how to get open. He sells fakes nicely and knows how to avoid/defeat contact during routes. He lacks explosiveness out of cuts but creates separation with good route-running skills, use of hands and athleticism. He consistently gain yardage after contact, always running hard and fighting until on the ground. He has decent size and strength but actually is a better blocker than expected because of tremendous effort on every snap. Stevens is not a game-changing receiver, but he projects as a solid NFL starter.
3. Fred Davis, Southern Cal, 6-3, 246. Davis is a talented but inconsistent player who has not reached his potential. He shows good acceleration and speed to get down the seam but does not run sharp routes. He fails to get low entering cuts and tends to show just adequate burst to separate from man-to-man coverage. As a blocker, he gets off the snap quickly and aggressively but does not always maintain good balance and footwork. Davis certainly has NFL talent, but his inconsistency is a major concern.
4. Martin Rucker, Missouri, 6-4, 248. Rucker shows good all-around athleticism and skills to be productive as a receiver and blocker. He must add bulk to be an effective blocker in the NFL, both inline and on the second level against linebackers. He is a good athlete with the speed and the agility of a big receiver -- runs every route well and consistently gets out of cuts quickly to separate. He shows good hands to make tough catches. He runs hard after the catch; he absorbs hard hits and keeps on going. He reminds us of the Seahawks' Marcus Pollard.
5. Joey Haynos, Maryland, 6-7, 262. Haynos has rare size but mediocre speed. Still, he shows quick footwork and plays faster than his 40-yard dash would suggest because he runs sharp, precise routes to gain separation. He is a natural receiver who knows how to get open and use his big body and hands to shield defenders from the ball. He shows good hands to reach out and pluck passes away from body -- makes tough catches look routine, especially on high throws. He is not a dominant blocker but gets in good position to consistently eliminate his man. Haynos lacks the explosive playmaking ability but has all the other tools.
6. John Carlson, Notre Dame, 6-4, 256. Carlson, smart, tough and competitive, established himself as a junior, becoming Brady Quinn's go-to guy. He is a smart route-runner who sets up defenders well and uses his hands and body to shield defenders and create separation. He is adept at getting open against zone and man-to-man coverage. He shows good hands to catch off-target passes. He is aggressive going over the middle, absorbing hard hits and holding onto the ball. He has good size but lacks the strength to get movement on run blocks and gets by more as a positional, effort blocker. Carlson is no game-changing receiver but has the tools to be a solid NFL starter.
7. Anthony Hill, N.C. State, 6-5, 275. Hill shows surprising athleticism for such a big man. He shows quick footwork to get off the snap and into routes quickly. Once at full speed, he is fast enough to get down the seam. He shows good hands to make tough catches when focused. He will go across the middle and catches high passes in front of defenders, absorbing hard hits and holding onto the ball. He does, however, lose focus and drop an occasional pass. He is a good inline run blocker with the strength to lock up and eliminate his man, and he reaches easily to block linebackers. Hill has more natural talent than most tight ends rated above him but must become more consistent and aggressive.
8. Jacob Tamme, Kentucky, 6-3, 229. Tamme is undersized but a good pass catcher. He shows quick footwork and runs good routes, getting in and out of cuts quickly to gain separation. He avoids contact nicely during routes and once at full speed can get down the seam. He shows great hands, reaching out and plucking off-target passes without much trouble. He is a competitive blocker but lacks the aggression and bulk to get movement. He flashes an ability to be a solid positional run blocker. Tamme reminds us of the Patriots' Garrett Mills.
9. Gary Barnidge, Louisville, 6-5, 241. Barnidge is smart and tough but is not a top athlete. He knows how to setup defenders and finds open spots in zone coverage. However, he runs a bit upright, hindering his ability to make quick cuts. He shows good hands but struggles to adjust to bad passes. He works hard as a blocker but is stiff and struggles to bend knees and sink hips to block with good leverage. Barnidge is a tough overachiever who projects as an NFL backup.
10. Mike Peterson, Northwest Missouri State, 6-2, 247. Peterson is the best small-school prospect this year. He lacks ideal height but is built well and plays strong. He shows good hands and excellent speed to burst down the seam. Makes tough over-the-shoulder catches look easy. He is a violent, competitive runner after the catch, punishing would-be tacklers. As a blocker, he is a much more productive in the open field against linebackers and defensive backs but struggles inline mainly because of his lack of height and lack of good technique. Peterson has the athleticism and receiving skills to develop into a quality NFL starter but must become a more polished route-runner and improve his blocking technique.
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Draft Dish: TE class lacks game-changers
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