TE has become a need for the Colts this offseason.
With the Indianapolis Colts likely moving on from Eric Ebron and with Jack Doyle getting up there in age, a positional need at tight end has emerged. This year’s class in the 2020 NFL draft is fairly deep with some versatility to it.
What the Colts need most is more of a move tight end, a la Ebron or Ross Travis. With two solid blockers in Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox, the need for a pass-catching tight end has become pressing.
Let’s take a look at a few tight end prospects that will take the field in late February at this NFL combine, which will be hosted again at Lucas Oil Stadium:
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Harrison Bryant | Florida Atlantic | Age: 21
Bryant’s plus athletic traits, high football IQ and toughness as a blocker make him one of the most talented, well-rounded tight ends in this draft. Given the Colts need more of a move tight end and less of a blocker, Bryant would be an intriguing piece for Chris Ballard to target following the first day of the draft. Bryant caught 65 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019.
Eric Ebron is likely gone. How can the Colts replace him?
Earlier in the offseason, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard made it clear they likely weren’t going to bring back tight end Eric Ebron, who is an unrestricted free agent.
Though his 2018 season was immaculate, Ebron’s 2019 campaign was disappointing and it ended with him deciding to get season-ending surgery—a decision it seems the Colts may have disagreed upon. Now, the Colts have to find his replacement.
Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, here are four tight ends the Colts could acquire to replace Ebron:
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Hunter Henry | Age: 25 | Free Agency
The Colts tight end room currently consists of Jack Doyle, who signed a three-year extension this offseason, and Mo Alie-Cox. Doyle, while great in his own right, isn’t going to be around forever. Alie-Cox is still a work in progress but a promising one. Enter Henry, who could be a gem for the Colts.
Entering free agency for the first time, there are some hopes that Henry gets to his the market. He’s an electric pass catcher and the type of talent that can help the Colts immediately while giving them a potential future at the position.
The biggest risk with Henry comes with his injury history. It hasn’t been encouraging since he entered the league. He suffered a lacerated kidney (2017), a torn ACL (2018) and a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee (2019). There is obvious risk with the injuries but that could lead to getting a discount on the market.
If the Colts want an NFL-ready tight end to make a difference in the offense, they should look no further than Henry.
Everything from quarterback to tight end to defensive back to offensive line was addressed, as the Bears need some fixes if they’re to have any hope at playoff contention in 2020.
Let’s break down Miller’s first seven-round mock draft featuring eight Bears selections:
2nd Round, No. 43: TE Brycen Hopkins, Purdue
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The Bears are certainly in need of a tight end that can bring production to the passing game. There are no shortage of tight end prospects that have been linked to the Bears, including Vandy’s Jared Pinkney and Dayton’s Adam Trautman. But another top tight end prospect that the Bears have already met with is Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins, who some argue is the best tight end in the NFL Draft.
Hopkins had 830 yards and six touchdowns with Purdue this season, which is the kind of production the Bears are seeking from the position. He would be the perfect fit for Matt Nagy’s “U” tight end. He’s a strong route runner and also brings explosiveness to the position.
The Bears are looking to shore up the tight end position this offseason, and they have their eyes on two prospects at the Senior Bowl.
Given the pressing concern at the tight end position, the Bears are certainly doing their due diligence early at the Senior Bowl
Chicago met with at least two tight ends on Tuesday, according to NBC Sports’ Bryan Perez. The Bears met with Vanderbilt tight end Jared Pinkney, who they talked with for over 30 minutes.
Jared Pinkney, TE, Vandy, told me he met with the #Bears for over 30 minutes. #NFLDraft
Pinkney didn’t have the senior season he would’ve liked, with just 20 catches for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The previous year, he had nearly double the production and seven touchdowns. But he’s got the physical traits you look for in a tight end prospect, and he’s an accomplished pass-catcher.
The Bears also met with Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins, who could very well be the first tight end off the board in April.
#Bears are doing their homework on TEs. Brycen Hopkins just told me he, like Pinkney, has met with Chicago.
Hopkins had 830 yards and six touchdowns with Purdue this season, which is the kind of production the Bears are seeking from the position. He would be the perfect fit for Matt Nagy’s “U” tight end. He’s a strong route runner and also brings explosiveness to the position.
Given the importance of the tight end in Nagy’s offense, finding a way to get production out of the position — be it with current players on the roster or through free agency or the NFL Draft — will be of utmost importance.
If the Bears were to land either Pinkney or Hopkins, that would certainly be a start in fixing that position.
The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason. Here are 7 prospects on offense they should be watching this week.
The road to the 2020 NFL Draft starts in Mobile, AL, with the Senior Bowl, where Bears scouts will have the chance to get to know some of the top prospects in this draft class.
More than 100 of the top collegiate seniors from schools all over the country will participate in this year’s Senior Bowl, which will take place on Jan. 25.
But prior to then, practices during the week leading up to the game give front offices a chance to evaluate players on the field and meet with them off the field.
The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason, especially on offense. Let’s take a look at seven prospects on offense they should be watching closely this week.
1. QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
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Considering the uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Bears should definitely pay attention at the Senior Bowl. Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts is a dual-threat passer that can surely help his draft stock with a solid week. Hurts is likely going to fall to the second round, where the Bears happen to have two draft picks. But should they use one of their selections on Hurts?
Hurts had a career-season with 3,851 yards passing and 32 touchdowns, which led him to be a Heisman finalist. But there are questions about Hurts as a downfield passer and going through his progressions, something that current Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has been known for.
A new mock draft has the Bears addressing TE and OL with their two 2nd-round picks in Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.
The Bears’ 2019 season has come to a merciful end, and all attention has been turned to the offseason and how general Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy plan to fix this team heading into 2020.
There are many needs facing the Bears this offseason, and they’ll only have six picks in the 2020 NFL Draft to add some talent at a cheap price. The Bears own the 43rd and 50th picks in the NFL Draft, and there’s no shortage of needs. But offense remains the most dire.
With the 43rd pick (from the Raiders), Miller has the Bears selecting Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins. Hopkins would be perfect as a “U” tight end in Nagy’s offense, where he can create separation in the passing game and provide a mismatch against some safeties.
Then, with the 50th selection, Miller has Chicago taking Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. Becton has drawn comparisons to Trent Brown and Bryant McKinnie in his ability to move fluidly clocking in at 365 pounds and the pure dominance and strength he possesses.
Pace has a lot of work ahead of him this offseason, including maximizing the Bears’ six draft selections.
Here are five Purdue Boilermakers who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Saturday’s matchup between Wisconsin and Purdue.
No. 12 Wisconsin will look to claim its third victory in a row on Saturday afternoon when it hosts 4-6 Purdue at Camp Randall.
This season has been a struggle for the Boilermakers, who were expected to take another step forward this year after making a surprise run to a bowl game in 2018. Unfortunately, Purdue has been held back from achieving its goals as the result of a series of devastating injuries to star players. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find any team in college football that has been bitten by the injury bug more than the Boilermakers.
Purdue gave Wisconsin one hell of a scare in last season’s triple-overtime thriller in West Lafayette, but the Badgers have won a whopping 13 games in a row against Purdue and is a heavy 25.5-point favorite to make it 14 this weekend. However, head coach Jeff Brohm still has some talented players at his disposal on both sides of the ball, and we have seen the Badgers struggle at home against far worse teams than this.
Here are five players on the opposing sideline who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout the game.
Aidan O’Connell – Quarterback
2019 stats: 67.6% passing, 402 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
O’Connell is the third quarterback to step in as the starter for the Boilermakers this season following injuries to the original No. 1 signal-caller, Elijah Sindelar, and his replacement, freshman Jack Plummer, and will probably be forced to stay in that role the rest of the year.
A redshirt sophomore walk-on, O’Connell is seeing the first action of his college career, and for the most part, he’s performed valiantly. He led Purdue’s game-winning touchdown drive after replacing the injured Plummer against Nebraska on Nov. 2 and did the same in his first career start against Northwestern the following week.
Brohm was heavily reliant on O’Connell to move the Boilermakers down the field against the Cornhuskers; he went 34-50 for 271 yards and a couple of interceptions in the win. After struggling against Nebraska last week, this Wisconsin secondary will be tested early and often on Saturday.
David Bell – Wide Receiver
2019 stats: 65 rec, 791 yds (12.2 avg), 5 TD
Oct 26, 2019; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell (3) dives for extra yardage against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the fourth quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Bell was one of the top additions to Brohm’s impressive 2019 recruiting class as a consensus 4-star prospect and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana, and he has been an instant impact addition for the Boilermakers as a true freshman this season.
He was always going to be heavily involved in the offense this season, but Bell has taken on a larger than expected role with superstar wide receiver Rondale Moore out with an injured hamstring suffered in Purdue’s fourth game of the season. The Indianapolis native currently leads the Big Ten in receptions and ranks No. 4 and No. 5 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, respectively.
Bell is coming off of an impressive performance against Northwestern in which he caught 14 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
