Tag: Jeremy Ruckert

Ohio St. TE Jeremy Ruckert doesn’t have the production, but his upside intrigues the Cowboys

With a thin TE room, the Cowboys have renewed a focus on the position. @DiabeticTyler explores the possibility of the Cowboys addressing the position with a player who hasn’t caught much, but might catch on.

The Ohio State offense doesn’t prioritize tight ends, making it difficult to project their prospects at the pro level. They are very rarely thrown to, giving little film to study outside of their blocking acumen. However, it appears that Jeremy Ruckert would make a solid TE2 option for the Dallas Cowboys offense. He can stretch the field vertically, and is good in contested catch situations. He can also play H-back relatively well.

Is there enough potential within his skillset where Ruckert could emerge into a TE1? That ability, or lack thereof, will determine just how high he will go in late April’s draft exercise. The Cowboys, for their part, are performing their due diligence as Ruckert is one of 30 official pre-draft visitors. A dive into the film to help determine which role is more likely is in order.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 27 Jeremy Ruckert

Ohio State TE Jeremy Ruckert is up next in Unpacking Future Packers, a countdown previewing the 2022 NFL draft for Packers Wire.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Green Bay Packers need an infusion of young, talented pass catchers. That’s not exclusive to just the wide receiver position. The Packers need to add more talent to the tight end room.

Robert Tonyan will be back on a one-year deal after suffering a torn ACL last season. Marcedes Lewis is aging like fine wine, but eventually he’ll have to hang it up. Right? Josiah Deguara is entering his third season in the league and could be primed for a breakout.

Those three give the Packers a formidable, if not underwhelming tight end group. Brian Gutekunst needs to add more talent to the mix with the hopes of finding a long-term starter.

A player that Gutekunst could target on day two of the draft is Jeremy Ruckert. The Ohio State tight end checks in at No. 27 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.

A four-star recruit, Ruckert scored a combined nine touchdowns in 2019 and 2020. This past season he hauled in 26 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

Ruckert’s numbers aren’t eye-popping. However, he played in an offense that has two of the top wide receivers in the upcoming draft and another one that will likely be the first off the board in 2023. There just weren’t enough targets to go around.

“Ruckert’s senior season production was pretty solid,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. “Especially when you realize he was sharing catches with potentially three first-round receivers and an elite receiving threat out of the backfield in TreVeyon Henderson. Ruckert’s stats don’t pop off the page, but he comfortably surpassed his previous career highs in catches and receiving yards. For being in a crowded offense, he showed enough.”

Ruckert is pro-ready as a blocker. He is tenacious as a run blocker. He gets after defenders, creating movement with his power and leg drive. He wants to drive defenders into the ground and bullies defensive backs with his strength.

“He can line up inline or as an H-back,” Cummings said. “He has the want-to, but it’s more than that with Ruckert. The Ohio State tight end can square up and lower his pads, and channel power into his blocks, and he also does a great job using his athleticism to carry momentum into defenders. His play strength isn’t elite, but it’s not going to be with most tight ends. He does a great job compensating with closing burst, leverage, and great physicality. If you’re a linebacker and you’re not ready, he’ll drive you into the dirt.”

Ruckert has soft and reliable hands. The Ohio State tight end was targeted 39 times this past season and only had one drop (PFF). 

The former four-star recruit doesn’t labor in and out of his breaks. He accelerates smoothly off the line of scrimmage. With his frame and hands, Ruckert will be a quarterback’s best friend on underneath routes. He shows no issue making catches in a crowd. 

With his rocked-up frame, Ruckert creates yards after the catch with his toughness and is able to run through defenders.

“At 6-5, 252 pounds, he has great size, and he’s a very good athlete for his size,” Cummings said. “He can get open in space and sit in open zones. Especially over the middle of the field, he’s adept at finding space and racking up completions. He can haul in passes with linebackers closing in, and he also flashes excellent body control, coordination, and ball-tracking ability in close quarters. His hands can be a bit more consistent, especially through contact. Against more physical NFL defenders, that may be an issue. But Ruckert brings a lot of the necessary building blocks.”

Ruckert will be a weapon inside the 20s. Of his 54 career receptions, 12 of them went for touchdowns. With his size and deceptive quickness, Ruckert could be a mismatch weapon inside the “Gold Zone.”

“He’s big and he’s long,” Cummings said. “But he’s also athletic and quick enough off the line to get separation fairly quickly. If you dish it up to him, he has the high-end coordination and ball tracking ability to convert. There are some focus drops in this range, but when you’re projecting for what prospects can be, you think about building blocks. Ruckert has the size and athleticism, as well as the natural instincts at the catch point. Those go a long way in the red zone.”

Fit with the Packers

Ruckert is a plug-and-play player with his blocking ability. He could provide the Packers with a Y-tight end with his ability as a run blocker. 

“He feels like a player who could end up being more productive as a pro than he was as a college player,” Cumming said. “He has the traits to capitalize on more volume and become a featured pass catcher, and his blocking utility ensures that you can keep him on the field for all three downs. If you can get this kind of player in the middle rounds, it’ll only benefit you down the road.”

The Packers need more young talent at the tight end position. Ruckert would provide an immediate impact as a blocker and anything he added as a pass-catcher would be gravy.

Long-term, Ruckert has all the tools in the shed to develop into a team’s top tight end. With his frame, hands and ability as a blocker, Ruckert checks all the boxes.

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Vikings 7-round mock draft 3.0: Za’Darius Smith signing changes things

A trade shakes things up early for the Vikings

We are two weeks into free agency and the landscape is becoming more and more clear. For the Vikings, they are being very calculated with their additions and cap maneuvering.

The latest of those is the signing of edge rusher Za’Darius Smith. In doing so, the Vikings have created one of the best edge rushing tandems in the league and now have more flexibility when it comes to the draft.

You can check out my previous mock drafts below.

Mock Draft 1.0
Mock Draft 2.0

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Colts’ 7-round mock draft after first wave of free agency

Following the first wave of free agency, here’s a 7-round mock draft for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through the first wave of free agency and while we still don’t know who the quarterback is, it’s about time for another mock draft.

As expected, the Colts have been pretty quiet on the free agency front. They made a splash play in trading for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue but have made little moves elsewhere. They re-signed four players while adding cornerback Brandon Facyson from free agency on a one-year deal.

With the first wave of free agency now through, here’s an updated look at a full, seven-round mock draft for the Colts using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator:

Long Island native, childhood Jets fan Jeremy Ruckert notes Bills are New York’s only team

Long Island native and childhood Jets fan Jeremy Ruckert said that he wouldn’t mind being drafted by Gang Green. He also said the Bills are New York’s only team.

Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert grew up as a diehard Jets fan in Long Island. He made countless trips to the Meadowlands to watch his beloved Gang Green play, but not everyone in his hometown of Lindenhurst was leaving New York to watch football on Sundays.

The Jets and Giants are New York teams in name only — a fact Ruckert acknowledged at the NFL combine on Wednesday. Neither has played in the Big Apple since the 1970s. The Bills, meanwhile, have resided in Orchard Park since 1960.

“A lot of my friends back home are Bills fans,” Ruckert said, per Spectrum News Buffalo’s Jon Scott. “I’m from Long Island, so a little bit south of that. It’s a pretty good trip away. It’s the only team in New York, so a lot of people back home have a sense of pride in that.”

Geography aside, Ruckert wouldn’t mind returning to the tri-state area to start the next chapter of his football career. He currently projects as a day two draft pick, which puts him right in the Jets’ sweet spot if they don’t address the tight end position in free agency.

Ruckert has met with the Jets and Giants already. He also worked with Gang Green’s coaching staff at the Senior Bowl, which allowed the two sides to get acquainted.

Ruckert didn’t receive a ton of targets during his college career while playing in the shadow of a loaded Ohio State wide receiver room, but he is still one of the better tight ends in this year’s draft. The belief is he will be a better pro than college player given his versatility. Only time will tell, but the Jets and Giants would be wise to bring the local product home if the fit is there.

“The people back home would go crazy,” Ruckert said, per Newsday. “They would love it. But at the end of the day, I’m excited no matter where I go.”

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Titans go LB, TE in NFL.com 3-round mock draft

NFL.com has the Titans addressing a position of strength in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

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In the latest mock draft from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, the Tennessee Titans select Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean and Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert with their first two picks.

Here’s Reuter’s take on a first-round selection of Dean:

“With Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans due to reach free agency, finding a bargain like Dean available here is a bonus. If the former Georgia linebacker outperforms expectations at the NFL Scouting Combine, he will be long gone by this pick.”

While Brown and Evans are indeed hitting free agency and likely won’t be back, Tennessee does have their two starters at the position, Zach Cunningham and David Long, under contract for 2022.

Adding to that, the Titans are three deep at the position when you factor in 2021 third-round pick, Monty Rice. As a result, there’s no chance the team will take a linebacker this early.

Reuter’s third-round pick for the Titans, Ruckert, is a much more realistic selection, as the Titans need an upgrade at tight end after not having an every-down player at the position in 2021.

Tennessee used a three-man rotation with MyCole Pruitt, Geoff Swaim and Anthony Firkser, but each member of that trio is one-dimensional for the most part, and all are set to hit free agency.

Pruitt in particular will have to work his way back from a serious injury.

Ruckert is someone we had the Titans selecting in the third round of our last seven-round mock draft. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end projects to be a solid asset in the passing game, while also bringing skills as a blocker.

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Titans 7-round mock draft: Tennessee lands its QB of the future

The Titans get their quarterback of the future in our seven-round mock draft.

With the 2021 season now over after the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, we’re pumping out our first seven-round mock draft of the offseason for the Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee owns the No. 26 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, and will have a total of seven selections. They are as follows:

Round 1

Round 3

Round 4

Round 4 (projected comp pick)

Round 5

Round 6

Round 6 (projected comp pick)

The Titans don’t have picks in the second or seventh rounds thanks to the trades involving Julio Jones and Isaiah Wilson, respectively, but they are projected to pick up a pair of compensatory picks, per Over the Cap.

In this mock, much of the focus is on the offensive side of the ball. The Titans land their quarterback of the future and address a few other needs on offense, while also making a few additions on the defensive side.

Let’s see what we came up with using The Draft Network’s mock machine.

SKOL Search: What can Vikings learn from Mobile?

The 2022 Senior Bowl was jam-packed with talent. Who should the Vikings keep an eye on?

The Senior Bowl is a fantastic event for many reasons, but the biggest reason is how much you can learn from this class. Over 100 players attend the event in Mobile to show off their skills and speak with teams. Throughout the week, players are put through drills to showcase their skills and traits.

The Senior Bowl staff, led by director Jim Nagy, has done a fantastic job not only finding players from high profile programs, but also standouts from the lower levels. These lower level guys usually have dominant tape, but this platform gives teams the ability to see them compete on an even playing field.

Players like Ali Marpet, Kyle Dugger and Carson Wentz have massively benefitted from being invited to Mobile.

When down in Mobile, there are a lot of different things you can take away from the event. Along with learning about the players, it’s also a major outlet for scouts and media to converse and learn more about what other teams think of the class and to hear what rumors are swirling.

After having been in Mobile this past week, here are the five biggest takeaways for the Minnesota Vikings.

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The 8 best potential Jets targets to watch in the Senior Bowl

The Jets should have their eyes on these eight prospects during Saturday’s Senior Bowl.

The Jets spent the week in Mobile closely evaluating the talent taking part in Senior Bowl practices.

Now, it’s time for the real thing.

The National Team, which is led by New York’s coaching staff, will take on the American Team in the annual Senior Bowl game on Saturday afternoon. Practice evaluations are arguably the most important aspect of the Senior Bowl, but the game will provide the Jets with one last look at some of the 2022 NFL draft prospects they fancy in live-action.

Taking care of business in a practice setting is one thing. Getting the job done during a game is a completely different story. Which prospects should the Jets be watching closely on Saturday? Here are eight of the best to keep an eye on.

4-round 2022 Mock Draft: Cowboys trade up, start to address blocking issues

The Cowboys need work up front, and they’re gonna get this work in our first mock draft exercise of the 2022 offseason. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Finally solving their defensive issues, at least for a year, the surprise failure of the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 turned out to be their inconsistent offense. After starting the season strong through their first six games, injuries began to mount to every position group on that side of the ball and although they maintained their status as one of the league’s best teams, their offense failed them when it mattered.

It appears, based on early tea leaves, that the offensive staff is capable of returning. Stephen Jones, even without Jerry Jones’ full blessing, has said that Mike McCarthy is returning as the head coach. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was once a hot commodity to be a head coach somewhere, but even with him interviewing for a handful of vacant positions the scuttlebutt is he will once again be in Dallas to run that side of the ball. So what can and will change? That conversation likely revolves around the offensive line.

Will coach Joe Philbin be back? Perhaps, but what will he have to work with? On the left side Tyron Smith missed multiple stretches of the season and Connor Williams was benched, reinserted, and now hits free agency. On the right side Zack Martin is a stalwart and is a First-Team All-Pro yet again, but there’s a chance La’el Collins doesn’t return after his five-game suspension voids his contract guarantees and Terence Steele received plenty of love from the staff for his time in the lineup.

Then there’s the middle of the field, where second-year center Tyler Biadasz got 17 starts. His performance was up and down, and while Dallas could conceivably feel comfortable going into 2022 with him as the starter, it’s not a position that they should shy about addressing this offseason. If that doesn’t come in the form of free agency, there’s a glaring alpha dog in this year’s draft in Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum.

The problem is there isn’t a realistic shot of him making his way to No. 24, so in our first mock draft exercise of the year, Dallas will trade up to acquire him.