The 2023 Texas Longhorns had more talent at the receiver position than most — between Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, that offense was about hurling the ball all over the place, and for good reason. In Sanders’ case, it allowed him to put up a second consecutive standout season, catching 45 passes on 67 targets for 682 yards and two touchdowns after grabbing 54 passes on 72 targets for 613 yards and five touchdowns in 2022.
Sanders will bring up a familiar debate in NFL scouting rooms — when you select a tight end in the draft, what kind of tight end do you prefer? Do you want the traditional archetype at the position who will block like a lineman and add a little spice to your passing game, or are you after a true weapon all over the formation? If your NFL team wants the latter, Ja’Tavion Sanders is a really good place to start — especially if your team missed out on Georgia’s Brock Bowers.
As is the case with Bowers, Sanders has explosive plays all over his tape (13 of his catches were explosives last season), and if his NFL team wants him to work more outside as a true iso receiver in the Travis Kelce mold, he’s got all the skills to make that happen.
At the scouting combine, I asked Sanders for his favorite NCAA play, and he brought one up that perfectly illustrated what he will bring to his NFL team.
Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders on his favorite college play: “Probably that big play against Bama — it was a 50-yard gain. We had two deep posts on the outside, and we were running so many deep crosses with me just running. I sailed a deep crosser, put my foot in the ground, and took… pic.twitter.com/Yh5ix7yM0A
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 30, 2024
PLUSES
— Didn’t have a lot of outside iso targets, but showed an easy ability to get open and work downfield for impactful plays outside when he did.
— Sits in zone coverage like an NFL veteran; he’ll get you that eight-yard slant on third-and-6 every time.
— 348 of his 682 yards came after the catch last season. He’s great at taking a simple drag route beyond its logical conclusion, and he can get there with speed and toughness.
— Experienced scramble-drill receiver who knows when to break off after the play has broken down.
— Will take match-and-carry defenders right up the chute, and he’s just fine catching the ball when he knows he’s going to get whacked.
MINUSES
— Blocking is decent but not remarkable; he’s a move tight end more than aligned to the formation.
— Catch radius was tested by inconsistent throw timing, and I would have liked to have seen a bit more there.
I don’t have a lot of dings for Sanders. If you understand what kind of tight end he is, and you need a guy who will work the middle of the field in the intermediate to deep passing game, just turn in the card and make it happen.
He’s a move TE and an offensive weapon. That should be good enough, and if he sneaks into the low first round, I wouldn’t be completely surprised.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
PLUSES
— Didn't have a lot of outside iso targets, but showed an easy ability to get open and work downfield for impactful plays outside when he did.
— Sits in zone coverage like an NFL veteran; he'll get you that eight-yard slant on third-and-6… pic.twitter.com/SyYjxvsGdM
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 30, 2024