The Jags could look to add more help at tight end in the draft and the 2020 class has solid options at the top.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a need at the tight end position for about as long as fans can remember. Mercedes Lewis provided great help as an in-line blocker, however, he added very little as a legitimate weapon in the passing game late in his career.
The team had hoped that Julius Thomas could be that vertical threat several years ago, but he ended up being one of Dave Caldwell’s biggest free agent misses. In 2019, the team struggled once again as injuries and lack of talent plagued the position. This offseason Caldwell went out and signed Tyler Eifert, a Pro-Bowl talent with consistent injury issues in hopes to add a spark to the position. Whether this works or not, I expect the team to still be in search of a young playmaker to add to their struggling tight end room.
Here are my top-5 tight ends in the 2020 NFL Draft class:
Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Brycen Hopkins
Brycen Hopkins has been the class’s biggest name at the tight end position since last summer. He’s an incredibly fluid mover and would fit right in as the “big slot” in Jacksonville. He would immediately become their best talent at his position and would give Gardner Minshew II an additional weapon and one who could terrorize defenses between the hashes. Among being an exceptional athlete, Hopkins was quite productive at Purdue, garnering 130 catches for just under 2,000 yards with 16 touchdowns.
Breaking down the draft profile of Dayton TE Adam Trautman, a potential pick for the Packers in the 2020 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is Dayton tight end Adam Trautman:
What he can do
– Has desired size and strength for in-line blocking duties (listed at 6-5, 255)
– Large catch radius. Expands the strike zone for his quarterback. Can make tough catches away from his frame
– Sure-handed. Has the concentration to finish catches in traffic. Doesn’t allow many balls into his frame. Very good high-point skills. Dominated the FCS as a red-zone target
– Fluid and flexible athlete. Ran a 6.78 3-cone at the NFL Scouting Combine, a figure that ranks him fifth among all tight ends who participated since 2006
– Skilled route runner despite inexperience (played quarterback in high school). Transitions smoothly in and out of breaks. Has a good feel for how to set up defenders
– Has the potential to become a preferred red-zone target and quality short-to-intermediate receiving threat
– Brings tenacity as an in-line blocker and has the strength to displace defenders once he latches on. Was pretty effective as a run-blocker against FCS competition, but he didn’t consistently play with sound technique and he’ll likely need technical refinement to maintain his blocking effectiveness as an NFL player. Has a tendency to play upright and top-heavy. Hand placement can be erratic
– New to the tight end position and may still have considerable untapped potential
– Mediocre long speed. Ran a 4.80 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Won’t threaten defenses vertically with speed
– Not much of a run-after-catch threat. Can break a tackle here and there, but won’t outrun many defenders or make them miss in space very often
– Questions about translating his skills to the NFL level are valid. Against FCS competition, he rarely faced NFL-caliber players
– Dominated FCS competition with 110 receptions, 1,511 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in two years as a starter and performed well against elevated competition at the Reese’s Senior Bowl
How he fits
The Packers don’t currently have a proven, capable starter at tight end. 2019 third-round pick Jace Sternberger could ultimately become that, but he wasn’t able to show much during an injury-riddled rookie campaign. Marcedes Lewis was retained on a one-year deal this offseason, but he’s an older veteran and primarily a blocking tight end. Robert Tonyan, for all his talent, has yet to prove that he can make more than a few flash plays over an entire season.
If drafted by the Packers, Trautman could form a nice pairing with Sternberger. Head coach Matt LaFleur likes to use two tight end sets, so the Packers could get both players on the field at the same time for a fair number of snaps. I also think Trautman has more upside as an in-line blocker than Sternberger and Sternberger has a little more vertical receiving potential, so they could end up complementing each other very nicely in a few years.
NFL comp
Trautman reminds me of Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. Goedert is nearly identical in size (6’5″, 256 lbs.) and he also played at an FCS school (South Dakota State). Both players are fluid and nuanced route runners, both are quicker than fast, both have strong ball skills, and both have the versatility to play in-line or flexed out.
Where Packers could get him
Trautman is expected to be drafted somewhere in the Day 2 range. He could be the first tight end off the board and a mid-to-late second-round pick. If enough teams dock him for being a small-school tight end prospect with modest top-end speed and raw blocking technique; however, he could slide a little ways – perhaps to the mid-to-late third-round range. Regardless of where he’s drafted, he’s likely a top-100 pick.
Considering the weakness of the tight end class this year and the presence of Sternberger on the roster, I just can’t endorse spending a first- or second-round pick on that position. The value just doesn’t appear to be there. The Packers already have a year invested in Sternberger, who, in my opinion, is a comparable prospect to any of the top tight ends in this year’s draft. Tight end also tends to be a slow-developing position historically speaking, so that’s another factor to consider.
If Trautman slid to the third round, he’d be worth strong consideration, but in the first two rounds, the Packers could probably find more of an immediate impact from players at other positions.
Hollywood gets football right. From “The Program” to “Rudy” football movies inspire. What comparisons be found in the 2020 NFL Draft?
Player comparisons are an inevitability in every draft evaluation process. Some find them useful, others think they’re useless. But they give people a good general thumbnail of a prospect’s traits and attributes.
That said, we’re going a bit outside the box with these comparisons. Here, we align 2020 draft prospects with their fictional football doppelgangers.
Joe Burrow: Jonathan Moxon, Varsity Blues
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
Joe Burrow is regarded by most as the complete quarterback in this draft class, and almost a lock to be the first player drafted when the NFL Draft begins.
Jonathan Moxon, however, was a backup. The caddy to Lance Harbor, the All-State quarterback with a scholarship waiting for him at Florida State. While Harbor was throwing touchdown passes all over the field for the West Canaan Coyotes and making the student body swoon with interesting pep rally speeches, Moxon was waiting on the sidelines, reading “Slaughterhouse-Five” instead of his playbook on Friday nights.
But when Harbor goes down due to a brutal knee injury, Moxon gets his chance. One of the things he installs in the new Coyotes offense in the movie’s critical final game – an offense he tried to install earlier, much to the chagrin of old school coach Bud Kilmer – is Mississippi Valley State’s “Oop-de-oop” offense. A five-receiver system that as Moxon points out, has MVS averaging over 44 points per game. Of course, it leads to Kilmer delivering a rather amazing comparison in this clip (which, by the way, is not exactly safe for work, but since you are likely working from home, just make sure the kids are in another room):
Now, it is important to remember for this comparison not that Burrow was an afterthought in the Ohio State quarterback room, which led to his transfer to LSU, but rather the offense that Burrow ran last season. Under Joe Brady, the LSU Tigers were predominantly a five-man protection scheme. Very similar, in that regard, to that vaunted Mississippi Valley State offense. That made Burrow responsible for the sixth man in any potential defensive pressure scheme. What does that look like on film?
nice 6 man pressure by georgia here. got the free rusher to the man side of the half slide. burrow just got the hot off pic.twitter.com/Yu5sdmyiri
The Packers got Tee Higgins and Adam Trautman in Kiper’s latest mock draft at ESPN.
Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft for ESPN has the Green Bay Packers getting help at both receiver and tight end in the first two rounds.
Kiper’s fourth mock draft of the draft season projected the Packers grabbing Clemson receiver Tee Higgins at No. 30 overall in the first round and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman at No. 62 overall in the second round.
Kiper believes Higgins would give Aaron Rodgers a “big target who gobbled up touchdowns in college,” while Trautman could provide a “threat with the ball in his hands” at tight end.
Higgins, who caught 25 touchdown passes the last two seasons, was the sixth receiver off the board in the first round of Kiper’s mock, trailing Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Henry Ruggs and Brandon Aiyuk.
Trautman, the No. 1 tight end on Dane Brugler’s draft board, caught 23 touchdown passes the last two seasons and ended up as the second tight end off the board in Kiper’s mock, behind only Cole Kmet.
The Packers need more playmakers in the passing game and could use help at both receiver and tight end. Higgins and Trautman could give the offense two reliable pass-catchers capable of complementing the pieces already in place in Green Bay. It’s time for the Packers to invest valuable resources in the passing game and provide Rodgers with all the tools he needs to have a successful end to his career.
This is the draft to do it, although grabbing a tight end in the second round might be a reach considering needs at offensive tackle and linebacker. However, if the Packers think Trautman can be a versatile player and form a strong combo with Jace Sternberger, the addition works, especially in an offense that likes two tight ends on the field.
Kiper’s mock is interesting at the receiver position, where players such as Denzel Mims, Chase Claypool, K.J. Hamler, Devin Duvernay, Jalen Reagor and Michael Pittman all went in the second round. Overall, 12 receivers came off the board in the first two rounds. Expect the Packers to be one team grabbing a receiver in the first two rounds next week.
The Indianapolis Colts are nearly a week away from the 2020 NFL draft where they will be looking to add both young talent and depth to the roster.
Looking to take advantage of a wide-open AFC South division, the Colts have seven picks currently in the draft. However, that could change quickly if Chris Ballard decides to use some of that capital to move back and add more picks.
In this latest seven-round mock draft using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, we traded back at No. 44 to add an extra fourth-round pick. Here’s how the draft broke down:
Rounds 2–3
No. 34 (from WAS): WR Laviska Shenault Jr, Colorado *Traded No. 44 to Buffalo for Nos. 51 and 123* No. 51 (from BUF): OT Matt Peart, Connecticut No. 75: TE Adam Trautman, Dayton
Analysis: The pick of Shenault was a relatively easy one. There weren’t any quarterbacks truly worth grabbing at No. 34 and the upside of Shenault gives the Colts a potential WR1 to carry the room after the departure of T.Y. Hilton. Trading back an adding a fourth-round pick seems like Ballard-type move, and we were still able to get a talented but developmental tackle in Peart, who would be the successor to Anthony Castonzo. In the third round, Trautman is a wonderful move tight end to add to the offense as his physical traits and ability to catch the ball are extremely intriguing.
Rounds 4–6
No. 122: QB Anthony Gordon, Washington State No. 123 (from BUF): CB Bryce Hall, Virginia No. 160: LB Justin Strnad, Wake Forest No. 193: RB Michael Warren II, Cincinnati No. 197: S Tanner Muse, Clemson
Analysis: The Colts get a ton of value and depth here on Day 3. Gordon is one of the most intriguing developmental quarterback prospects in the draft and would have time to sit behind Philip Rivers and learn under Frank Reich. Getting Hall in the fourth round is strong value as a cornerback who thrives in zone coverage and would be a perfect player to push for a role on the boundary with Xavier Rhodes. Strnad fits the bill of a rangy linebacker that the Colts like. He would work on special teams in addition to providing depth in the middle of the field while Warren fills into the Jonathan Williams role and the uber-athletic Muse provides strong depth in the secondary while also working on special teams.
Here are four tight ends who could be available for the Bills in the second round.
The Buffalo Bills first scheduled draft selection won’t occur until Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft, as the team picks at No. 54 overall.
Luckily, the Bills do not have a glaring need on their roster, making this year’s draft quite intriguing. Buffalo’s front office, led by general manager Brandon Beane, can go in a multitude of directions with the pick, leaving quite a bit of interest and uncertainty with whom the Bills could select.
This installment of our position-by-position series looks at the tight end prospects and which players could still be on the board when the Bills make their first selection at the upcoming draft:
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Current roster
The Bills have several viable options at the tight end position on their roster. Dawson Knox, one of the Bills’ third-round picks from last year, has the inside track as the top option on the depth chart. Buffalo also has Tyler Kroft, Lee Smith, and Tommy Sweeney, all who contributed in different ways last year. The team offered a contract to exclusive rights free agent Jason Croom as well.
The room seems full, but the Bills may still look for a player to further supplement the group. Knox is still developing at the position, Kroft is injury-prone, Smith is a sixth-lineman, and Sweeney is a depth option. Thus, a stronger option in the passing game could be intriguing for the Bills with their pick at No. 54. In addition, the Bills did express a desire to add Greg Olsen earlier this offseason, so to some extent, there’s an interest to add here.
There are several tight ends who may be available in the second round for Buffalo. While the position isn’t necessarily a great need, if an athlete is available to give quarterback Josh Allen another weapon in the passing game, then the Bills may take a swing at a player.
If the Bears decide to use one of their second-round picks on a tight end, they’ll likely have their pick of the draft class.
When a position has snakebitten the Bears, it really leaves its mark. Last year, it was kicker. This year, it’s tight end. And despite the fact that the Bears currently have nine tight ends on their roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise if general manager Ryan Pace drafted another one this year.
If the Bears decide to use one of their second-round picks on a tight end, they’ll likely have their pick of the draft class. Chicago could be the first team to take a tight end, although there are some that argue that there aren’t any tight ends that should be taken in the first two rounds.
But for the Bears, who have just two picks in the first four rounds, if Pace wants to take his shot at a tight end — that doesn’t involve trading up — it might require using one of those second rounders to get his guy.
Let’s take a look at five tight ends Chicago could target in the NFL Draft:
1. Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Kmet is arguably the best tight end prospect in the NFL Draft, and it’s easy to see why he’ll likely be the first tight end off the board. While Kmet lacks the speed that would make him an explosive receiving threat, he has the size to be an effective “Y” or “blocking” tight end.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t contribute in the passing game, as well. Kmet was one of the best tight ends in college football in 2019, where he caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns. If the Bears were to draft Kmet, he’d likely take the role currently occupied by Adam Shaheen, who hasn’t found much success after Chicago drafted him in the second round four years ago.
The Patriots desperately need depth at the TE position, and the NFL Draft may be the answer.
The New England Patriots have yet to address their glaring need for a tight end.
Josh McDaniels’ offense was lacking an explosive tight end last season after Rob Gronkowski retired and the Patriots went another round of free agency without signing a prospect this offseason. New England currently has Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse on the roster — averaging a combined 517 yards and three touchdowns over their careers.
Jordan Reed, Delanie Walker and Charles Clay lead the group of free agent tight ends still available, but the Patriots have little cap space and haven’t jumped on any of them yet. This leaves the NFL Draft, and the Patriots have 12 picks to select a tight end or two.
Here are seven players the Patriots could choose in the draft.
Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
Cole Kmet is likely the top tight end in the NFL Draft this year and his ability to play a balanced game is the reason for it. He’s a 6-foot-6, 262 pound player who has excellent blocking skills, along with a high ceiling as a pass-catcher. He hauled in 43 catches for 515 yards and six touchdowns in his final season at Notre Dame.
Kmet will likely fall in the first round of the draft, forcing the Patriots to use the No. 23 pick if he fell down that far.
Adam Trautman, Dayton
Adam Trautman is one of the more realistic choices for the Patriots to draft. The team already met with him and he told reporters that New England is a franchise he could see himself playing for. Trautman is 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and put together an astounding 70 catches for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season at Dayton.
Trautman will be one of the first tight ends off the board, but it’s possible he’ll fall to the third round — where the Patriots could potentially grab him with pick No. 87.
This crop of tight ends might not match the 2019 NFL Draft, but there is potential. How do Cole Kmet, Adam Trautman and the rest rank?
Last year was perhaps the “Year of the Tight End” in the NFL Draft. A year ago football fans saw sixteen tight ends drafted – the most since the 2015 draft class – and two players from the same school come off the board in the first round. Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson was drafted eighth overall by the Detroit Lions, while his teammate Noah Fant came off the board 20th to the Denver Broncos. In all, eight players were drafted on the first two days of the 2019 Draft at the tight end position.
This group, however, might not match those numbers. In fact, you might be waiting until midway through the second round to see the first tight end come off the board.
This year’s crop contains a number of players who fit perhaps one role (move tight end) or another role (blocking tight end). Finding the prototypical, “do it all” type of player might take a bit of work. There are some potential players in that mold, who will be near the top of that list as you might expect, but there are still questions about what they can do in the NFL.
So if you are a fan of a team needing help at this position, pack some patience.
Bio: Cole Kmet was a highly-regarded recruit coming out of high school, where he was a two-sport athlete for St. Viator High School in Illinois. Kmet was, according to 247Sports, the third-best tight end recruit in the nation, and out of his 16 scholarship offers he decided to select Notre Dame. In addition to his work as a tight end, Kmet was a left-handed pitcher both in high school and in college, and he pitched for the Fighting Irish as a freshman and sophomore before an arm injury ended his sophomore season. He then chose to focus on football. During his freshman year he led Notre Dame with eight saves as a relief pitcher.
On the gridiron, Kmet did not contribute on a consistent basis until this last season. As a true sophomore in 2018 he managed just 15 receptions on 17 targets, for 162 yards. Last year, however, he caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 12 yards per reception.
Stat to Know: Kmet did his best work in the intermediate area of the field. Notre Dame passers had a rating of 102.5 when targeting him between 10 and 19 yards downfield.
Strengths: Sometimes a game in front of a national audience can propel a prospect towards the top of draft boards, and for Kmet that game might have been a primetime outing against the University of Georgia down in Athens. After missing the first three games of the season with a broken collarbone, Kmet caught nine passes for 108 yards (both season-high numbers for him) and a touchdown. Kmet showed up on his first reception of the game, displaying some toughness after the catch as well as some incredible contact balance for a 6’6″ tight end:
In addition, if you think about where NFL offenses look to attack defenses, your eyes will be drawn to the seams. Given the prevalance of single-high coverage in the professional game, offenses need to attack the seams. Having a tight end that can do this both before and after the catch is going to help an offense:
On this seam route Kmet shows the ability to change pace as a route runner, saving an extra gear for when he needs to accelerate past the second-level defenders. He also absorbs a shot after the catch, but hangs on while the safety is slow to get up.
As a route-runner, his ability to find an extra gear as well as how he comes off the line of scrimmage give him an advantage over some of the other TEs in this class. He seems to get an extra step on most of his routes, giving him just a bit more separation than his peers. Kmet is not the most technically-sound route-runner at the position, but his combination of size, burst and straight-line speed gives him an advantage. He also has a tremendous catch radius, which will make him a quarterback’s security blanket on third down situations.
Kmet is also adept at chipping pass rushers before releasing on his route, as well as generating yardage after the catch with power. He will not accelerate away from would-be tacklers, nor is he that shifty after the catch, but he uses his size and power to make sure he gets all the meat off the bone with each reception.
As an inline blocker, Kmet handles more responsibilities in this realm than most college tight ends. Notre Dame did task him with pass protection responsibilities, and he also shows good awareness to adjust his blocking assignment post-snap if his pre-snap read of the play changes due to a defensive adjustment. Kmet is also a good blocker in space, who can get out in front of screens or work to the second-level on run designs.
Weaknesses: Kmet’s hands are not as solid as you might expect, and he relies on his body and frame in close quarters or in contested catch situations to secure the football. While his physical prowess after the catch is how he generates additional yardage, he can be re-routed or jammed off the line by linebackers. It did take a while for him to produce in Notre Dame’s offense, so that is worth mentioning, as is his injury history. Both the left elbow injury and the broken collarbone are areas for NFL teams to explore before the draft.
Conclusion: In a weak tight end class, Kmet’s ability to perhaps be an all-around tight end – something that is rare to find coming out of college – coupled with his ideal size and his solid play make him perhaps the safest option at the position. He seems ready to handle all the aspects of playing the tight end position at the next level, while many other prospects in this class might be forced to specialize in one way or another. Kmet’s ability to create enough space as a receiver is going to be a big plus for him as he makes the transition to the next level.
Comparison: Lance Zierlein from NFL.com compared him to Tyler Higbee, and that comparison makes some sense. You can also see another Notre Dame product, Tyler Eifert, in Kmet’s game.
A look at the tight ends who could be drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and who is most likely to be picked first.
One of the weakest positions in the 2020 NFL Draft is tight end. Barring a surprise, there won’t be a tight end drafted in the first round. In fact, there is a realistic chance that there isn’t a tight end drafted inside of the top-50 selections.
However, that won’t prevent us from wagering on who will be the first tight end draft come April 23-25. Take a look at the odds for the first tight end to be drafted:
Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet is the odds-on favorite to be the first tight end off the board as he possesses ideal size and speed for the position. While he needs to improve as a blocker, he is just 20 years old and is still improving. Given the big-school pedigree and elite size, Kmet should come off the board sometime in the second round. Even despite the lower odds, Kmet is still a GOOD BET to be the first tight end selected.
Looking to place a bet on the 2020 NFL Draft? Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. Bet now!
After Kmet comes Dayton’s Adam Trautman. Despite playing at a small school, Trautman made a name for himself at the 2020 Senior Bowl. But after he ran a 4.80 40-yard dash at the combine, it’s tough to see Trautman being drafted inside the top 60 picks. Despite the attractive odds, PASS on betting on Trautman to be the first tight end selected.
The sucker bet here is LSU’s Thaddeus Moss, whose odds have been pushed up due to name recognition. After measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, Moss doesn’t have ideal size for the position — to go with his below-average speed. That doesn’t even take into account that he broke his foot before the combine, meaning that he won’t be able to work out for teams at all before late April. PASS on Moss to be the first tight end drafted at +600 and look for him to be a late Day 3 selection.
An intriguing longshot name to monitor is Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam. At the combine, Okwuegbunam stole the show with a 4.49 40 dash while weighing 258 pounds. He is one of the most athletic tight ends in the class, and with three years of college production on his resume, it wouldn’t be a shock to see someone gamble on his upside late in the second round. CONSIDER BETTING on Okwuegbunam at +600 to be the first tight end drafted.
Want action on the 2020 NFL Draft? Sign up and bet atBetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
