Next best TE draft prospect?

[thecore762]

We will have to look into a replacement soon, we don’t know if Gronk will be back next year, but I’d like to start looking for the next man up.
Gronk is a once in a generation type of player so I doubt we will find someone like him.

Anyone know much about the upcoming TE draft class? I haven’t watched much of college football this year so I don’t know who would be a good pick up in the late 1st/2nd round.

 

[Snooky97]

If you check the draft part of this forum there is TE discussions.

TJ Hockenson if he declares is the #1 TE this year, closely followed by Noah Fant. Both come from Iowa and both can play inline TE.

Hockenson is the better Blocker of the two, and resembles some of Gronk, not as explosive but still will make a lot of plays.

Noah Fant is a WR who plays TE, he’s an athletic freak and is a match up nightmare. He’s not as a refined blocker yet, but get him in the league and off season and he will be.

@BaconGrundleCandy

 

[maineman209]

We will have to look into a replacement soon, we don’t know if Gronk will be back next year, but I’d like to start looking for the next man up.
Gronk is a once in a generation type of player so I doubt we will find someone like him.

Anyone know much about the upcoming TE draft class? I haven’t watched much of college football this year so I don’t know who would be a good pick up in the late 1st/2nd round.

I wouldn't worry too much about the TE prospects who the media promotes as 1st/2nd-rounders. More often than not, those guys are pretty much one-trick-ponies who can catch but who block like Betty White (if they have any inline blocking experience at all).

And, no, NFL-level inline blocking skills are not easily or quickly learned, at least not before the end of a rookie contract.

Anyway, TE prospects who have a more complete skill set, but who are not top receivers in college, are typically undervalued by other teams, as well as by media draft gurus. Such guys may be found in the 3rd-5th rounds.

 

[Snooky97]

Personally I’d like us to take these kind of player types for a TE - Athletic, Catching ability. Has solid enough fundamentals to become a better blocker.

Blocking can be learned and improved on, whereas the athletic side of things might not be.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

and make sure they wont kill anyone

 

[SBLIII]

A good TE could make a major difference in this offense. If we hit on a TE and WR and get a few solid defensive linemen we could be looking at a dominant 2019 Patriots team. Cannot wait to see it all unfold.

 

[Snooky97]

A good TE could make a major difference in this offense. If we hit on a TE and WR and get a few solid defensive linemen we could be looking at a dominant 2019 Patriots team. Cannot wait to see it all unfold.

My biggest issue with WRs in this years draft is there no real #1 and the closet one to that has an injury history problem.

The defensive line class is unreal this year

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Hockensen or irv Smith for me.

 

[Flash]

Isn't it weird that Dwayne Allen has been completely irrelevant as a catcher? I get that he has never been good at it but in with Indy he was still a red zone target and with us he's just not a factor at all. I wouldn't even worry about the TE position if Allen can catch more, but he can't.

 

[BelichickFan]

This belongs in the draft forum but it's a really deep TE draft. With our 6 top 100 picks, one is almost a guarantee to be a TE (barring FA signing) and possibly two.

 

[Snooky97]

TJ Hockenson has declared. He’s officially the #1 TE

 

[Double TE]

I think Hollister may be very good next year if healthy. May not need to draft a TE early.

 

[Snooky97]

I think Hollister may be very good next year if healthy. May not need to draft a TE early.

I can understand where your coming from, but giving Brady another Gronk type player, would be a huge bonus for us.

 

[BelichickFan]

 

[maineman209]

Isn't it weird that Dwayne Allen has been completely irrelevant as a catcher? I get that he has never been good at it but in with Indy he was still a red zone target and with us he's just not a factor at all. I wouldn't even worry about the TE position if Allen can catch more, but he can't.

My guess is that, in addition to being relatively slow, and not particularly agile, Allen wasn't require to run many option routes based on reading the defense in Indy's system, and simply hasn't been able to adapt enough to the Pats system to move up on the target list.

When he has been targeted, at least this season, his hands have been pretty good. It's just the route-running part.

 

[maineman209]

Personally I’d like us to take these kind of player types for a TE - Athletic, Catching ability. Has solid enough fundamentals to become a better blocker.

Blocking can be learned and improved on, whereas the athletic side of things might not be.

Inline blocking? Not that easy at all, especially for a lot of the kids coming out of college these days who've never had to deal with it.

First, there's technique - understanding leverage, the footwork, countermoves to the moves DEs/LBs will use, etc. It's basically a version of what an offensive tackle needs to know for run-blocking and pass blocking.

Then, there's the protection calls - understanding where to be, who to block (and how), and how to adjust when things begin to breakdown or when the DL is running a stunt.

Asking a big, glorified college WR to learn all of that from scratch well enough to be trustworthy in pass-pro and the running game before the end of his rookie contract is a bit of an unrealistic expectation. Until then, instead of being a legitimate asset in the ground game - and, therefore, play-action game - he's just another WR trying to learn how to read coverages the same way that Brady does, and trying to learn all the routes and options - a tall order to begin with, considering how many WRs - rookies and vets - have failed at it.

BB himself has said on more than one occasion that TE is probably the most difficult position to learn in the Pats' offense for exactly these reasons.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think Hollister may be very good next year if healthy. May not need to draft a TE early.

Hollister is a bonus at this point. He might be closer to getting cut than making the team.

Plus hes not a blocker.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I think Hollister may be very good next year if healthy. May not need to draft a TE early.

I like him but there’s no way I’d feel comfortable thinking he can finish a season healthy.

And given your username I’m shocked you feel this way.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Trade for George Kittle lol - that kid is a monster beast and is going to be for the next decade if healthy

 

[ashley]

I thought the tight end for Alabama looked really good...don't remember his name though or even if he is eligible this year.