dryheat44
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2004
- Messages
- 6,351
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Well, I think you might be overvaluing the role of speed for big physical TEs to get open in the NFL. If you watch these TEs, it's rarely speed or even quickness that gets them separation--it's power, leverage, and body position. Perhaps more importantly, I think hands are a bigger problem than separation anyway for these guys and Pettigrew has great, reliable hands--that won't change in the NFL.
But what then makes him special? He's a great blocker. That's fine. But I'd rather draft Anthony Hill in the sixth than Pettigrew in the first - he's a better blocker, his hands are comparable to slightly better, and he's also slightly unathletic. Pettigrew's appeal is that he's supposedly the best combo blocking/receiving threat in the draft. Just over 100 catches as a 4-year starter makes me wonder about that. And we both know he's going to do nothing with the ball in his hands. He looks to me to be a better blocking, worse catching version of Dave Thomas.
First round TEs are basically big WRs. I don't see Pettigrew being as good as Graham, Stevens, Shockey, Olsen, or Miller (either or) when they were drafted, just to name some recent 1st & 2nd round TEs. For the life of me, I can't figure out why all these scouts are gaga over the guy. I wouldn't take him on Day 1.