When discussing the Rams’ current tight ends, two players immediately come to mind: Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. Higbee just set franchise records for receptions and yards by a tight end in 2019, while Everett is viewed as a breakout candidate at tight end seemingly every season.
The player who gets left out of the conversation each time is Johnny Mundt. He only played 19% of the snaps in 2019 and has fewer career receptions (5) than Higbee had in each of his last five games of the season.
It’s easy to overlook Mundt as merely a reserve player who doesn’t contribute much. However, he provides value in ways that don’t show up on the stat sheet. According to Pro Football Focus, Mundt finished eighth in run blocking and 10th in pass blocking among all tight ends and running backs this past season.
Johnny Mundt got down & dirty this season, playing some key roles in blocking schemes & special teams for the #LARams
Among TEs/RBs (min. 150 snaps), Mundt ranked 8th in Run Blocking & T-10th in Pass Blocking. He was also the highest-graded Special Teams player for #LA in 2019 pic.twitter.com/60RdO9jmC9
— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) January 16, 2020
His blocking is a big reason the Rams used so many two-tight end formations toward the end of the season with Higbee and Mundt. In the last five weeks, Mundt played 148 snaps on offense out of his 211 total from the season.
He’ll be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, which makes it very easy for the Rams to retain him if they wish. There’s no doubt that given the low cost it’ll take to keep him, the Rams should absolutely give Mundt another season in Los Angeles.
This is especially relevant if the Rams end up shopping Everett in the offseason, given Higbee’s emergence. If they can recoup a third- or fourth-round pick for Everett and keep Mundt as the No. 2 tight end, primarily as a blocker, it won’t be a bad move by the front office.