Who is your third rated TE?

[Direckshun]

We all have Maxx Williams and Clive Walford 1 and 2. And Devin Funchess is a weird hybrid.

Who do you have as your #3? Feel free to provide your 4 through 10 as well, if you want.

[redshirt32]

Jeff Heuerman
Ben Koyack /Devin Funchess
Jesse James
Nick O'leary/Lyden Trail ?
Tyler Kroft
MyCole Pruit
Blake Bell
Wex Saxton
Nick Boyle
Casey Pierce

Here is my short list......

[Direckshun]

That in order?

If so, why Bell over someone like Boyle?

[Hoover]

its a good question. They are all kind of the same at this point, so its more about personal preference. The guy I want in the later rounds is Tyler Kroft. Good kid. Started out as a WR thus he runs good routes. Has the size to be a complete TE. He's had four different offensive coordinators in college, which I think has hurt his production.

[CleveSteve]

2015 Post-Combine Positional Rankings: Tight Ends
1. Maxx Williams, Minnesota 6'4", 250# Round: 1
Excellent ability on the boundary, shows very good balance and awareness of the sidelines and end line. Extends well to make the catch. This and his run-after-catch ability is what separates him from the other upper-tier prospects in the TE class. Doesn't have elite speed or strength but is a very skilled pass catcher. Runs decent but not great routes. Didn't encounter a ton of contested catches, and didn't come through as often as you'd like in those situations for a player of his status. Does not have very good pop or awareness as a blocker, and tends to stop and gather before initiating contact, but once locked on will continue to drive his block to the whistle.
2. Clive Walford, Miami (Fla.) 6'4", 254# Round: 2
Good soft hands. Uses body well to catch in traffic. Will catch high to low. Is a good route runner and can shake open. Solid blocker from the tight end position. Above average athlete but wouldn't describe him as explosive. Very good all-around tight end.
3. Nick O'Leary, Florida State 6'3", 247# Round: 2
Perhaps the most natural catcher of any prospect in the draft regardless of position. Good athlete at the tight end position but plays smaller than most prospects. Is an adequate but not great blocker.
4. Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State 6'5", 255# Round: 4
5. Westlee Tonga, Utah 6'3", 240# Round: 4
6. C.J. Uzomah, Auburn 6'5", 262# Round: 5
7. Blake Bell, Oklahoma 6'6", 263# Round: 5
8. Faysal Shafaat, Chattanooga 6'3", 243# Round: 5
Very good route runner with excellent hands and good leaping ability. Knows how to get open in the red zone. Is an adequate blocker but against lower competition.
9. Nick Boyle, Delaware 6'5", 267# Round: 6
10. Tyler Kroft, Rutgers 6'5", 240# Round: 6
http://cornerblitz.com/2015/Rankings/Post-Combine/TE.aspx

[redshirt32]

Just throwing some names out there after Clive.... was reading some info about Bibbs the other day, here is how GBN has them currently rated

*Maxx Williams 6-3.7 250 4.78 Minnesota
2 Clive Walford 6-4 251 4.79 Miami
3 *Jesse James 6-7 261 4.83 Penn State
4 Nick O'Leary 6-3.2 252 4.93 Florida State O
5 Ben Koyack 6-5 255 4.8 Notre Dame
6 *Tyler Kroft 6-6 246 4.78 Rutgers X
7 Jeff Heuerman 6-5 255 4.85 Ohio State X
8 MyCole Pruitt 6-2.2 251 4.58 Southern Illinois
9 Wes Saxton 6-3.3 248 4.65 South Alabama
10 EJ Bibbs 6-2 258 4.8 Iowa State
11 Blake Bell 6-6.2 252 4.8 Oklahoma QB
12 Nick Boyle 6-4.4 268 5.04 Delaware
13 Gerald Christian 6-3 245 4.87 Louisville
14 *Jean Sifrin

[Direckshun]

CleveSteve,

That is a extremely unorthodox TE depth chart.

I really gotta think you're overvaluing O'Leary. 4.9 speed, ridiculously short arms, shoddy blocker...

His receiving stats are better than nearly every other TE prospect not named MyCole Pruitt, but he was playing with the country's top QB.

Not a fan.

[Direckshun]

Tell me about Westlee Tonga, CleveSteve.

[CleveSteve]

Tell me about Westlee Tonga, CleveSteve.

Tonga is a good blocker and looks really sturdy in game... Seems like he plays much bigger than he's listed. I was really surprised how athletic the guy is... I was watching Utah vs. USC (a team with pretty good coverage linebackers and safeties) and he was making them look bad. At one point he does a jump cut that leaves the USC defender diving at air. I don't think I've ever seen a TE do that. I think he was underutilized at Utah.

O'Leary, I understand your misgivings on him, but man when I watch the guy catch the ball he just reminds me so much of Dallas Clark. My wife described it as "all muscle memory... He's like a lab with a tennis ball."

[kccrow]

Continuing to evolve this list... but here you go...

1. Maxx Williams - Minnesota (6'4" 249)
2. Clive Walford - Miami (6'4" 251)
3. Jeff Heuerman - Ohio State (6'5" 254)
4. MyCole Pruitt - Southern Illinois (6'2" 251)
5. Wes Saxton - South Alabama (6'3" 248)
6. Ben Koyack - Notre Dame (6'5" 255)
7. Casey Pierce - Kent State (6'3" 244)
8. Tyler Kroft - Rutgers (6'5" 246)
9. Nick Boyle - Delaware (6'4" 268)
10. E.J. Bibbs - Iowa State (6'2" 258)

[Saccopoo]

Tonga is a good blocker and looks really sturdy in game... Seems like he plays much bigger than he's listed. I was really surprised how athletic the guy is... I was watching Utah vs. USC (a team with pretty good coverage linebackers and safeties) and he was making them look bad. At one point he does a jump cut that leaves the USC defender diving at air. I don't think I've ever seen a TE do that. I think he was underutilized at Utah.

O'Leary, I understand your misgivings on him, but man when I watch the guy catch the ball he just reminds me so much of Dallas Clark. My wife described it as "all muscle memory... He's like a lab with a tennis ball."

He wasn't underutilized at Utah, he just suffered from a pretty mediocre quarterback situation (at best).

He was also behind several really good TE's on the depth chart up until this season. (Much the same for Nate Orchard, who, rather than being mired on the depth chart at the TE position for most of his career, made the (correct) switch to the defensive side of the ball and the rest is history.)

Tonga is a pretty good tight end. He isn't as good a prospect at former Utah TE Jake Murphy, who the Raiders picked up as an UDFA in 2014. I'm not sure he's even as good as the other 2014 Ute TE draftee Anthony Denham, but he's a solid player. A good athlete who's more of a WR than an in-line blocker.

The negatives are that he'll be 27 years old when the 2015 season starts and he's had a history of knee injuries.

[The Franchise]

Koyack has always been underutilized at ND.

[Direckshun]

I have Koyack as my 3rd. I was going to ask you about him, since you've no doubt seen more of him than I have.

[The Franchise]

Blocks and catches well. Isn't a burner but more of a more talented and younger Fasano. Criminally underutilized during his time at ND. Damn good red zone threat.

[Direckshun]

He came in as a very athletic 220 lbs dude before he packed on about 35-40 lbs, which has slowed him down some bit I think he has a great ceiling. One offseason in a strength & conditioning program should square him up.

[CleveSteve]

Thanks, Sacc... had no idea he was that old. Guess I should check out the ages of every Utah and BYU player.

[Direckshun]

Yeah, those Mormon players enter the league old.

[Saccopoo]

Yeah, those Mormon players enter the league old.

Utah doesn't necessarily recruit LDS players. BYU does almost exclusively, but not entirely (e.g., Jim McMahon).

Utah is somewhat of a prep/HS football hotbed and a lot of the kids are LDS due to the geographical nature of things.

However, as you note, a lot of LDS guys and gals do go on missions when they are approximately 19 years old and that does boost their recruitable age up a little - if they are LDS and have gone on a mission. (Some don't, such as Haloti Ngata, who is LDS, but did not go on a church mission.)

[Dante84]

No clue where he ranks in the class, but I really like Wes Saxton as a mid/late prospect.