Tag: Brycen Hopkins

2020 NFL Draft: What positions should Bears target in 2nd round?

If the Bears decide to stay put with picks 43 and 50, there are some opportunities for them to address some important roster needs.

The Chicago Bears were without a first-round selection for the second straight year — a result of the Khalil Mack trade with the Las Vegas Raiders — but there will be plenty of first-round talent available for them when the second round kicks off.

Chicago has no shortage of roster needs heading into this draft — and not a whole lot of draft capital to work with. The Bears have just two picks in the first four rounds, so it’s possible that they try to trade back to accumulate additional picks. And given the talent still left on the board, there figures to be some teams willing to move up.

But if the Bears decide to stay put with picks 43 and 50 — especially given the crop of prospects still available — there are some opportunities for them to address some important roster needs.

Let’s take a look at five positions that the Bears should consider addressing with their pair of second rounders:

1. Offensive line

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest issues with the Bears’ abysmal offense a season ago was the offensive line, who returned five starters off a solid 2018 season. While most of the offensive line will remain intact in 2020 — with left tackle Charles Leno Jr., left guard James Daniels, center Cody Whitehair and right tackle Bobby Massie — the Bears have a starting right guard spot up for grabs following Kyle Long’s retirement.

Heading into Round 2, there has been only one interior offensive lineman taken — Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz. Which leaves players like Louisiana-Lafayette’s Robert Hunt, LSU’s Damien Lewis and Ohio State’s Jonah Jackson for the taking for Chicago on Day 2. While six offensive tackles were taken in the first round, Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland and Houston’s Josh Jones highlight some first-round prospects that have fallen to Day 2.

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2020 NFL Draft: Should the Bears target tight end in 2nd round?

Following the release of Trey Burton, there are some that believe the Bears will use one of their 2nd-rounders to draft a tight end.

There’s no doubt that tight end remains a huge need for the Chicago Bears. That’s certainly the case when your tight end group collectively nets 36 receptions, 416 receiving yards and just two touchdowns.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has been focused on fixing one of the position groups that plagued Chicago’s offense. He brought in veteran Jimmy Graham during free agency and admitted a mistake with Trey Burton, parting ways with him Friday.

The Bears have been linked to tight ends throughout the pre-draft process, and it’s not exactly a surprise. But considering this year’s weak class of tight ends, there are some that believe there aren’t any tight ends worthy of a second-round selection.

Following the release of Burton, there are some that believe it’s a certainty that Chicago will use one of their second-rounders to draft a tight end. While that’s certainly a possibility, it’s not a guarantee.

The problem with the Bears taking a tight end in the second round is that they only have two selections in the first four rounds — both in the second round — and there are needs other than tight end.

Chicago has shown interest in prospects like Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins, Dayton’s Adam Trautman and Vanderbilt’s Jared Pinkney. While guys like Kmet and Hopkins will be gone before the Bears’ next pick rolls around following the second round, Pinkney is someone that should still be there for Chicago in the fifth round.

But given a report that the Bears are looking to trade one — possibly both — of their second-rounders, it would make sense for Pace to trade down and lock up an extra selection in rounds three or four, where some top tight end prospects should still be on the board.

What say you, Bears fans? Should Pace draft a tight end in the second round of the draft?

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2020 NFL Draft Prospect ranking: Tight ends

It’s not a primary need for the Browns but TE could be on the draft menu later

The Browns just signed Austin Hooper for the richest tight end contract in history, but it is extremely likely that Kevin Stefanski rolls with multiple tight end sets frequently. David Njoku is still on the roster, but has been on the hot seat for some time. It is not crazy to think the Cleveland Browns may snag a tight end in this extremely strong and underrated tight end class.

I grade players extremely generous and like to think with an open mind. Most writers only rank 20-25 first-round grades and that is probably more indicative of their talent rather than where they are selected. I rank prospects based on the highest I could possibly see them be snagged.

1st Round

1. Cole Kmet, Notre Dame, 6-6, 262 pounds

Kmet has insane upside with intriguing athleticism as evidenced by the fact he was once viewed as an MLB prospect. It is not surprising that Kmet comes from NFL bloodlines; his father was drafted by Buffalo in 1992. The most concerning issue with Kmet is that he does lack elite burst coming off the line of scrimmage.

2nd Round

2. Hunter Bryant. Washington, 6-2, 248 pounds

Bryant is a large and dynamic receiving threat who was finally able to stay healthy and dominate the entire season. His unique athleticism makes him a difficult player for defenses to cover. Bryant is not exactly a complete tight end and will need some serious work as a blocker if is he to compete in-line as the No. 1 option.

3. Brycen Hopkins, Purdue, 6-4, 245 pounds

Like Bryant, Hopkins is another top-of-the-line athlete and his quick burst off the line of scrimmage and acceleration going in and out of routes make him a dangerous target. Despite being a great athlete, Hopkins did not have the best combine workout and will that will likely have an effect on his stock.

4. Adam Trautman, Dayton, 6-5, 255 pounds

Trautman was utterly dominant playing against FCS competition, but what really allowed his stock to soar was his fantastic week at the Senior Bowl. It is clear that he is a capable blocker that can play in the NFL. With that said, Trautman is still very raw as he is a former walk-on quarterback from the FCS level. He may need a red-shirt season to adjust to the NFL.

5. Harrison Bryant, Florida Atlantic, 6-5, 243 pounds

Bryant is an extremely long receiver that can pluck the ball out of the sky with the best of them. He is an excellent receiver that checks practically every box needed to thrive in the NFL. Bryant, unlike Trautman, is not a great blocker and this is the only box he fails to check.

3rd Round

6. Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri, 6-6, 258 pounds

Okwuegbunam is excellent at tracking the ball and has the athleticism to make teams pay when he works up the seam. He also has an extremely large frame that helps him box out defenders fighting for the ball. Okwuegbunam, like Bryant above, still needs a ton of work as a blocker.

7. Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 257 pounds

Pinkney had a fantastic junior campaign with 50 receptions for 774 yards and seven touchdowns. He looks like the prototypical NFL tight end and has the frame to put on even more weight. After a sensational junior season, Pinkney had a rough 2019, where production took a huge dip with only 20 receptions for 233 yards.

8. Thaddeus Moss, LSU, 6-2, 250 pounds

Moss plays like a player with NFL bloodlines as he is already a fairly technically refined prospect. The son of Randy Moss had an explosive season for the Tigers, but flew a bit under the radar due to the high powered offense. Moss is not the athlete that some others on the list are.

9. Colby Parkinson, Stanford, 6-7. 252 pounds

Parkinson is arguably the most athletic tight end in this class and lives up to the TEU stereotype of a long 50-50 ball threat. He is extremely crisp in his routes, especially on the underneath. Even though Parkinson is an elite athlete, he does lack the top end speed most teams prefer.

10. Cheyenne O’Grady, Arkansas, 6-4, 253 pounds

O’Grady has an insane amount of untapped potential as evidenced by his former five-star recruiting ranking. He was able to snag 63 receptions for nine touchdowns during his last two seasons. His combination of size and speed will be extremely enticing to teams looking for a capable in-line tight end.

O’Grady was never able to reach his full potential due to being suspended multiple times and that will warrant deeper investigation. He also may require a red-shirt season. There have been comparisons made between him and former Philadelphia Eagles player, Scott Orndoff. As far as physical profile goes it is spot on, but O’Grady does offer a much higher ceiling.

11. Jacob Breeland, Oregon, 6-5, 252 pounds

Breeland was having a phenomenal season before injuries hit him. He is a clean receiver with solid route-running ability and ideal ball skills. He is also able to create separation. Breeland would be much higher on this list, but a knee injury robbed him of the second half of the season and that injury warrants deeper investigation.

4th Round

12. Devin Asiasi, UCLA, 6-3, 257 pounds: Explodes off the line of scrimmage and weight needs monitoring at the next level as he has a propensity to gain negative weight.

13. Stephen Sullivan, LSU, 6-5, 248 pounds: Had 12 receptions for 130 yards last season and is extremely raw. Had a fantastic Senior Bowl week and a highlight-reel touchdown against SE Louisiana as a junior. Comparisons have been made between him and Darren Waller of the Las Vegas Raiders and he could certainly exceed those expectations.

14. Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida, 6-3, 247 pounds: Versatile receiver who played in the slot and split out wide, but he is not a good blocker.

5th Round

15. Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland St, 6-2, 240 pounds: Raw with H-Back ability, but not an ideal tight end, especially due to his lack of blocking ability.

16. Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati, 6-2, 242 pounds: Ability to contribute in a number of ways, but is not the best athlete. Also has H-back ability.

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17. Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech, 6-4, 253 pounds: Unique upside and able to block effectively, but lacks ideal speed.

6th Round

18. Sean McKeon, Michigan, 6-5, 242 pounds: Solid blocker, but was not an extremely productive receiver.

19. Ahmad Wagner, Kentucky, 6-5, 234 pounds: Giant frame that he uses effectively to box out defenders, but rough route runner.

7th Round

20. Kyle Markway, South Carolina, 6-4, 250 pounds: Best blocker in the class with a physical mentality. Not a productive receiver and not athletic enough to become one.

21. Joey Magnifico, Memphis, 6-4, 240 pounds: Raw prospect that saw few opportunities in college.

22. Nate Wieting, Iowa, 6-4, 244 pounds: Another intriguing upside prospect, but the former walk-on has a few injury concerns.

23. Eli Wolf, Georgia, 6-4, 245 pounds: One of the viral workout videos that was recently released showed Wolf running a 4.43 forty, but that’s hard to see on film.

24. Dominick Wood-Anderson, Tennessee, 6-4, 261 pounds: Fairly raw former quarterback with good size, but inconsistent tape.

25. Tyler Mabry, Maryland, 6-4, 248 pounds: Grad-transfer from Buffalo failed to build on his solid junior campaign.

26. Farrod Green, Mississippi St., 6-3, 245 pounds: Raw prospect who was expected to breakout in 2019 and never did.

Priority Free agent

27. Parker Houston, San Diego St., 6-2, 250 pounds

28. Charlie Woerner, Georgia, 6-5, 244 pounds

29. Noah Togiai, Oregon St., 6-4, 246 pounds

 

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2020 NFL Draft: Ranking the top-5 TE prospects

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.

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2020 NFL Draft: 4 TEs Bills could consider in second round

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. 

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5 tight ends that Bears could target in 2020 NFL Draft

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.

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5 potential TE targets for the Cardinals in the draft

Arizona has reportedly been doing their homework on this year’s tight end class – who could they take?

A recent tweet from ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss shows a direction Arizona could go in the draft this year. They have been researching the tight ends in the draft, which comes as no surprise, as they research all players and positions in every draft class.

However, this year is not a year to really desire a tight end, at least not per most experts. The consensus is you might be lucky to grab a starter, but if you’re looking for a solid role player, you can maybe find one of those.

With Arizona having locked up Maxx Williams for two more seasons, the pressure to find a starter might not be there. They also seem to like Dan Arnold, evidenced by his usage later in the year.

So what this may mean is that Arizona could look this particular direction on Day 3 of the draft. Here are some of the tight ends they could target:

Hunter Bryant, Washington

Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Bryant is on this list because he is Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated tight end. He’s known as a move tight end, although many experts wonder if he doesn’t have the body, at 240+ pounds, to learn how how to block, much like Delanie Walker did when he first entered the league.

With the aforementioned Dan Arnold already on the team, you can see that Kliff Kingsbury’s offense does have a place for a move tight end. If Bryant is still on the board in Round 4, it would not be a surprise to see Arizona take him.

And, as a bonus? He’s an ex-Washington Husky – and we know Arizona likes to take those players in the draft.

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Dueling 4-round mock draft has Ravens going in different directions

With the same prospects available in our mock draft, we each tried to predict what the Baltimore Ravens would do in the 2020 NFL Draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft going all-digital thanks to social distancing from the coronavirus, things could get a little interesting this year. While picking exactly what any single team will do in the draft is a fool’s errand, the turbulence of this year’s draft make it even harder to predict. To try and narrow down what the Baltimore Ravens might do, we’ve created a dueling mock draft.

Using The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator to pick for the 31 other teams, Kevin and I looked at what prospects were still available when Baltimore was on the clock through the first four rounds. These were the picks we each made for the Ravens in the 2020 NFL Draft.

1st round (No. 28)

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Matt: LB Patrick Queen, LSU

Inside linebacker might be Baltimore’s most pressing need right now. While the position has gotten less valuable over time with defenses playing more dime, the Ravens are probably one of the few teams that could still use a true three-down linebacker. Queen would be one of the best answers to that hole.

Queen is a smart, fast and rangy linebacker that can drop back into coverage as well as come down in run support and lay the hammer. He’s an immediate starter with legitimate Pro Bowl capability, which is impressive to find this late in the first round. That’s too much to pass up, regardless of what other needs might exist.

Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Kevin: EDGE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa

Epenesa would be a great selection at 28 for the Ravens. Due to a poor performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, it seems he’s fallen a bit from the top-20 pick he was supposed to be, but he still presents great value. Epenesa can play both defensive end and EDGE, where Baltimore can experiment with him in multiple different positions on the defense. He can also be insurance incase one of the Ravens new defensive linemen gets injured. He’s long, powerful, instinctive, and dominates at the point of attack. He truly screams “Raven”.

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Brycen Hopkins appears to be top tight end target for Bears in NFL Draft

The Bears have been showing significant interest in Purdue TE Brycen Hopkins, as they’ve now had three pre-draft meetings with him.

Tight end is surely one of the positions Bears general manager Ryan Pace will be targeting in the NFL Draft later this month.

While there are no shortage of names that have been linked to the Bears, including Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, FAU’s Harrison Bryant and Dayton’s Adam Trautman, there’s been one that seems to be garnering some significant interest from the Bears.

Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins recently held a video call with the Bears, along with a number of other teams, according to Adam Hoge. But it’s not Chicago’s interest in Hopkins that’s surprising, it’s the fact that the Bears have now had three meetings with the Purdue product, according to Zack Pearson.

Considering the Bears had arguably the worst collective output from its tight end group in 2019, this is a position that had to be addressed this offseason. Pace has already brought in veterans Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris this free agency. Still, for a position that’s integral to the success of Matt Nagy’s offense and a position that’s snakebitten Pace since his arrival, the Bears might not be done at tight end this offseason.

Hopkins projects to be a good fit in Nagy’s offense, where he’d likely operate as a “move” or “U” tight end. He’s a strong route runner and also brings explosiveness to the position.

In his senior season, Hopkins had 830 yards and six touchdowns for Purdue, which is the kind of production the Bears are seeking from the position after a horrible outing by their tight ends last season.

The Bears are without a first-round pick for the second straight year, but they do own a pair of second rounders. They’re likely to have their pick of tight ends if they decide to use one of those picks on a tight end.

The only question is, with only two picks in the first four rounds, does Pace use one of those on a tight end? Guess we’ll see just how much Pace likes Hopkins or another tight end Chicago’s targeting.

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7 tight ends who Patriots could target in 2020 NFL Draft

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.

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