With the escalation of the uber-athletic tight end—Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Antonio Gates—over the past decade, general managers and coaches are all seeking the next prodigious power forward-like talent who can play on the gridiron. There are plenty of teams pursuing targets that can manipulate the middle of the defense and run the deep seams on the field. Unfortunately, for coaching staffs and personnel departments, the 2015 tight end draft class does not provide an elite difference maker. There is potential and aptitude among the top three prospects, and clubs can find valuable contributors at the position after the opening salvo of the draft weekend.  

Benchmark College Stats for Draft Consideration

Receptions: 80

40-yard Dash: 4.75

Yards per Reception: 13.0

 
2015 Tight End Prospects

1. Maxx Williams, Minnesota

A redshirt sophomore with NFL DNA. Talented pass catcher with soft hands and astonishing body control. At 6’4” and 249 lbs., a red-zone threat who can stretch the field down the seam. Very quick for size. Employs sharp cuts and shifts direction. Chews up cushions and beats linebackers and safeties with straight-line speed. Extends hands, arms and body to make difficult catches, and afterwards, continues to do damage. Often put in motion as a lead blocker in the ground game. Moved all over the formation: Lined up tight on the line of scrimmage as well as in the backfield and slot. Willing run blocker who competes to the whistle. Strong work ethic. In 2014, All-Big Ten First Team and All-American Second Team: 28 of 36 catches produced either a touchdown or first down. Eight touchdowns are a single-season school record for a sophomore and 569 receiving yards are also an all-time high for tight ends at Minnesota. Completed nine explosive catches of 25-plus yards, which paced the FBS at the position. Runs upright: Lacks salesmanship and wiggle on routes. Must improve strength and technique against tougher competition. Lacks core power in order to dominate in the ground game. Needs to employ large frame to shield defenders. Cream of the crop among a less than impressive group of prospects.

Key Career Stats

Receptions: 61

40-Yard Dash: 4.78

Yards per Reception: 16.2

Draft Potential: Second-round talent

2. Devin Funchess, Michigan 

An enigma of a prospect: On-field production doesn’t equal skill set and athletic ability. Hybrid tight end-receiver who played both positions at Michigan. First two seasons predominately played tight end and moved to receiver in 2014. Slow 40-yard dash at Combine foreshadows an NFL career at tight end. Smooth athlete for big man and is light on feet. Big-play ability and exceptional size at 6’4” and 232 lbs. Body frame to be employed in various formation positions: H-back, F-tight end and X-receiver. As a tight end, mismatch vs. linebackers and safeties. Great body control with fluid movement. Big hands and large-catch radius. Finds open spaces in the seam and provides a huge target in the middle. Long strider who gobbles yards quickly. Underwhelming performer last two seasons: Chronicled 111 catches for 1,481 yards and 10 touchdowns. Average straight-line speed and not elusive in open field. Limited short-area quickness. Easily tackled despite size: Doesn’t fight for extra yards. Not an in-line blocker. Below average hands. Far too many dropped passes. Do scouting departments and coaching staffs foresee a tight end or receiver at the next level? A combination of WR Kelvin Benjamin and TE Julius Thomas. Appears best suited to play flex tight end in the NFL.

Key Career Stats

Receptions: 126

40-Yard Dash: 4.70

Yards per Reception: 13.6

Draft Potential: Second-round talent

3. Clive Walford, Miami

Under-the-radar prospect who is a combo competitor: Tenacious blocker and savvy route runner. Outstanding agility, power and mechanics with a great motor. Very good athlete with ideal size at 6’4” and 251 lbs. Surprising quickness off line of scrimmage and gains separation. Beats linebackers in one-on-one matchups and gets open down the seam. At times on film, illustrates “football” speed and the ability to separate from safeties in the open field. A nice red-zone target with soft hands and leaping ability. Fights for pigskin on contested catches. Weapon in middle of the secondary and makes impressive catches. Employs subtle double moves, shoulder fakes and head bobs. Long arms and turns head rapidly with ball in the air. Well-built frame and enthusiastic blocker who explodes into targets. Superb Senior Bowl Week: During drills, gained separation at the line of scrimmage and in routes. Scouts spotted impressive skill set and draft stock rose. Four-year competitor who put together an eye-opening senior season: 44 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. Durable performer at Miami: Played in 37 consecutive games and saw action in 47 contests. Dropped 10 passes in 2012-13 and inconstant college career. Three-down tight end who can be moved around the field. Former high school basketball player and first suited up on the gridiron as a senior. Accurate comparisons to Colts TE Dwayne Allen.

Key Career Stats

Receptions: 121

40-Yard Dash: 4.79

Yards per Reception: 14.5

Draft Potential: Third-round talent

4. MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois

An FCS prospect: Productive career and stellar senior campaign. Caught the eyes of scouts at the Combine: Recorded the fastest 40-yard dash, top vertical jump and finished third in the 20-yard and 60-yard shuffles. Led team in receiving three of the last four seasons. In 2014, registered a school-record 81 catches and scored 13 touchdowns. Leaves college with MVFC records in receptions, receiving yards (2,601) and touchdowns (25) among tight ends. A natural hands catcher with gliding speed. Sturdy build at 6’2” and 251 lbs. with obvious pro-level athleticism. Releases quickly from the line and snatches ball in stride. Crafty route runner. Can line up in the slot and stretch the field. Good body control and footwork. Nose for the end zone and fights for the football in 50-50 matchups. Did not play against elite competition but produced despite focus of the defense. Game speed does not match 40-yard dash time. Lacks elite strength. Film leaves scouts scratching their heads yearning for more effort. Must improve as a blocker and route-runner. Will likely be drafted by the end of the fifth round and earn a roster spot in 2015.  

Key Career Stats 

Receptions: 221

40-Yard Dash: 4.58

Yards per Reception: 11.8 

Draft Potential: Third-day talent

5. Jesse James, Penn State

Tremendous historical namesake aside, an intriguing prospect who departed school after three seasons to enter league. Impressive size, agility and speed combination at 6’7” and 261 lbs. Sure-handed catcher with good leaping ability and a red-zone mismatch. Broad body and competitive nature employed to seal off tacklers. Catches football in traffic and procures YAC yards. Intelligent competitor with very good measurables. Only established receiver on club last season. Finished third on team in receptions (38) and yards (396) and paced squad with three touchdowns. Set a school-bench mark for career touchdowns (11) by a tight end and started all games the past two campaigns. Caught a pass in 18 consecutive contests. Not a strong blocker: Fails to push defenders backwards. Relies on body (chest) to catch pigskin. Physical tools to succeed with huge upside and potential at the next level. A long-term project likely to gain dividends during second campaign.

Key Career Stats

Receptions: 76

40-Yard Dash: 4.83

Yards per Reception: 13.1

Draft Potential: Third-day talent

6. Nick O’Leary, Florida State

Grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus. Aggressive and tenacious competitor who plays with a chip on shoulder. Locates and exploits zone coverage. Gains tough yards after the catch: Carries defenders down the field like a power back. Changes direction using body fakes and footwork. Despite smaller hands, a natural pass-catcher with strong hands and rarely drops passes. Polish and experience in a pro-style passing game. Absorbs blows when catching passes and holds onto the pigskin. Lowers shoulder, extends stiff-arm and spins off tacklers. In the red-zone, attacks the seam and makes catches in the middle of the secondary. John Mackey Award Winner in 2014 after making 47 catches for 614 yards and seven touchdowns. During career, totaled 1,591 receiving yards and scored 17 times. All-time leading receiver in school history at tight end. Survived two severe motorcycle accidents without suffering life-threatening injuries. Not an elite athlete or body frame at 6’3” and 252 lbs. Limited core strength hinders run-blocking ability: Better at chipping and move-blocking defenders. Difficulties gaining ground at line of scrimmage and separation in man coverage. In the NFL, projects best as an H-back. 

Key Career Stats 

Receptions: 114

40-Yard Dash: 4.93

Yards per Reception: 14.0

Draft Potential: Third-day talent

With his Masters in history and professional experience as an educator, John Laub is uniquely qualified to research, analyze and discover new insights and trends in college and professional fantasy football. Laub has played fantasy football for a quarter century and provided FootballDiehards.com with weekly player rankings for over a decade. He won $10,000 in 1993, defeating nearly 15,000 owners, and published Audibles: Winning is Everything in the 1990s. He truly is The Gridiron Scholar. 

Twitter: @GridironSchol91 or e-mail: Audibles@aol.com