Max Klare
Many boards have him as the #2 TE. I have only looked at 3 so far, but that is enough for me to say he isn't the 2nd best. I know he breaks the all important 1.6 YPR. But i am skeptical. First the good things. He has nice length and good hands from what i saw. Able to catch a ball at the high point or near his ankles pretty reliably. He knows how to set up the 'fake block/delayed route very well' and sells it wonderfully. He has some very good agility for his size and makes the kind of side ways moves you'd expect for a much smaller guy at times. There is certainly something solid to build off here. He has good acceleration to get up to full speed fast which is one of his best traits.
Now the bad. While i do often under play the importance of blocking for a TE in todays game. it does matter some and if you are actually bad at it then you need to pass catch as a certain level. I think Klare who is 6'5/6'6 240/245 lbs is really bad as a blocker. He absolutely gets mauled by a decent sized DE. While i have shat on Kelce for his blocking in the past, Klare is an entirely other level. He can not be on the line in the NFL. Just can't. I know you can find some good blocks from him on occasion, but IMO most of those he had a massive leverage/momentum advantage and even then they didn't look all that good.
Another huge issue i had is how he got open. While i praised his ability to sell a fake block, it really made up a good 80% of his successful routes and he was wide open for most of his catches. The others he found spots in the zone that were schemed open. Look at his highlight tape and you find few instances of him having to beat anyone 1 on 1. On the times he does beat someone it isn't by much and is helped by a very good throw to a near perfect spot. Frankly there was such a lack of getting open 1 on 1 in any tape i saw i worry about his ability to beat tight coverage or work a zone that doesn't blow its coverage.
His speed for his relatively light weight (I'd guess more like 240 or maybe even under at times) didn't fill me with confidence either, and any muscle he puts on will slow him down even more. So i don't think this is an easily solved thing. Frankly for as highly touted as he is i have MASSIVE concerns here. The tape just doesn't match the hype at all for me.
Now you put the ball in his hands and he can shake and bake a little for a 6'6 guy, but at the NFL that will be even less effective. He is sure handed and a big target, but if he can't separate in a small area (which i saw him do only once and it was only a little, and took a perfectly thrown high point ball to make the TD) then i wonder if he really can be all that good of a redzone threat really. And if he needs to fake staying in to block to get open, and is going to be even worse in the NFL as an in line blocker... that might have some big issues. Personally I am for letting someone else spend the pick here.
Hot take. He's a 5th round prospect, and not even an elite one. I'd take him as a potential rotational piece, but i wouldn't use a top 150 pick on him. I think he may have a shot to be more, but right now I am not convinced.
