TE Rankings & Projections

[D-Unit]

How do you guys rank the Junior and Senior TE class, and what rounds do you project for each?

[Todd Bertuzzi]

-Eifert's the cream of the crop among eligible players imo.

-Beyond that I like Llutzenkirchen, Stoneburner and Furstenburg as solid but unspectacular mid-late rounders.

-Chris Gragg and Mychal Rivera have shown some glimpses as well and they might be worth late round picks.

-Michael Williams seems like a very solid blocker and could potentially find a role as a backup at the next level.

-Brandon Ford of Clemson and Zach Ertz of Stanford are two guys to keep an eye on as they have been improving their stocks weekly this year. Both were stuck behind high picks(Fleener and Allen) last year and are enjoying breakout years now.

-Haven't had a chance to see some of the other highly rated guys but overall it just seems like it's not a great class tbh. I'm really more excited about some of the underclassmen. Mike Evans from Texas A&M looked like a potential Jimmy Graham clone when I watched him earlier in the year. 6'5, 220, runs a reported 4.54 forty...basketball background to boot. He's a WR at the moment but I think he has room to add some weight and make the conversion. Colt Lyerla is probably one of the most intriguing prospects in the country. 6'5, 250, 40' vert and runs a sub 4.5 forty. There's still the question of where he'll end up playing of course but TE seems like the logical fit.

[Babylon]

^
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, UW. Is going to be pretty special only being a sophomore.

Good call on Colt Lyerla. They've got him in the backfield some there at Oregon and i'm not sure his best position might not be OLB. Almost in that Brian Urlacher category at a similar stage.

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by Todd Bertuzzi

-Brandon Ford of Clemson and Zach Ertz of Stanford are two guys to keep an eye on as they have been improving their stocks weekly this year. Both were stuck behind high picks(Fleener and Allen) last year and are enjoying breakout years now.

You mention Ertz but I think you could make a case that Levine Toilolo has the potential to be the top TE in this class. He's a match-up nightmare in the redzone at 6'8 with strong hands and impressive body control. He doesn't see a ton of balls but I think he's a better athlete in space that he gets credit for and can be much more than just a novelty redzone threat which is how I think some people view him. Very solid blocker as well.

Chris Gragg has got to be the best receiving TE out there. Probably the best 'Joker' TE in the draft because of the mismatches he offers out wide. For being a bulked up WR, he is actually a surprisingly good blocker. For a guy who's undersized, I really don't think he's a liability as an inline blocker.

Originally Posted by Babylon

Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, UW. Is going to be pretty special only being a sophomore.

I'll take any chance to hype ASJ. He should/could be the best TE prospect since Vernon Davis.

[Don Vito]

Lutzenkirken will start in the nfl, I see him being similar to Brent celek as far as his impact in the nfl. Very good player.

[Robcards]

I am really liking Dion Sims from Michigan State a lot. Moves really well for a guy his size (6'5 280), blocks well in the run game, and I haven't seen him drop a pass yet this season. Not a whole lot not to like about him. Obv lacks the breakaway speed that some other TEs have, but a really well rounded player nonetheless

[Leon Sandcastle]

Originally Posted by Don Vito

Lutzenkirken will start in the nfl, I see him being similar to Brent celek as far as his impact in the nfl. Very good player.

I like him the most. Could be a good 3rd Round pick but he needs to learn how to protect himself. It's like he went to the school of Kevin Boss of taking huge shots.

[Don Vito]

I think you are talking about Todd Heap's school

[Ozzy]

This is how I would rate them currently, individually by class and together and junior and seniors.


The senior class is outstanding and there are tons of very talented tight ends to pick from that are having very good seasons. Usually the top part is underclassmen dominated but not this year. If one was just to focus on blocking tight ends it would be a completely different list, most of these rankings are based on their pass catching ability.


JR and SR players combined:

TE
Tyler Eifert Notre Dame
Joseph Fauria UCLA
Chris Gragg Arkansas
Justin Jones East Carolina JR
C.J. Fiedorowicz Iowa JR
Michael Williams Alabama
Brandon Ford Clemson
Jordan Reed Florida JR
Matt Furstenburg Maryland
Levine Toilolo Stanford
Jake Stoneburner Ohio State
Mychal Rivera Tennessee
Colter Phillips Virginia
Philip Lutzenkirchen Auburn
Andre McDonald Kansas State JR
Ben Cotton Nebraska
Kendrick Moeai Utah
Kyler Reed Nebraska
Blake Hammond Western Michigan
DC Jefferson Rutgers
Blake Ayles Miami FL TS




Just JR players:

TE
Justin Jones East Carolina
C.J. Fiedorowicz Iowa
Jordan Reed Florida
Dion Sims Michigan State
Andre McDonald Kansas State
Kaneakua Friel BYU
Nehemiah Hicks Texas A&M
Evan Wilson Illinois

[D-Unit]

Originally Posted by Ozzy

This is how I would rate them currently, individually by class and together and junior and seniors.


The senior class is outstanding and there are tons of very talented tight ends to pick from that are having very good seasons. Usually the top part is underclassmen dominated but not this year. If one was just to focus on blocking tight ends it would be a completely different list, most of these rankings are based on their pass catching ability.


JR and SR players combined:

TE
Tyler Eifert Notre Dame
Joseph Fauria UCLA
Chris Gragg Arkansas
Justin Jones East Carolina JR
C.J. Fiedorowicz Iowa JR
Michael Williams Alabama
Brandon Ford Clemson
Jordan Reed Florida JR
Matt Furstenburg Maryland
Levine Toilolo Stanford
Jake Stoneburner Ohio State
Mychal Rivera Tennessee
Colter Phillips Virginia
Philip Lutzenkirchen Auburn
Andre McDonald Kansas State JR
Ben Cotton Nebraska
Kendrick Moeai Utah
Kyler Reed Nebraska
Blake Hammond Western Michigan
DC Jefferson Rutgers
Blake Ayles Miami FL TS




Just JR players:

TE
Justin Jones East Carolina
C.J. Fiedorowicz Iowa
Jordan Reed Florida
Dion Sims Michigan State
Andre McDonald Kansas State
Kaneakua Friel BYU
Nehemiah Hicks Texas A&M
Evan Wilson Illinois

Would love to see the Round projection on that combined list! DO IT.

[Ozzy]

D-Unit Would love to see the Round projection on that combined list! DO IT.

Clearly not the be all and end all but here is a quick guess to where they might go. And I am sure by the end of the season one could add like five more guy possible that are potential draft picks at tight end.

TE
Tyler Eifert Notre Dame 1-2
Joseph Fauria UCLA 1-2
Chris Gragg Arkansas 2-3
Justin Jones East Carolina JR 1-2
C.J. Fiedorowicz Iowa JR 2-3
Michael Williams Alabama 2-4
Brandon Ford Clemson 2-4
Jordan Reed Florida JR 2-4
Matt Furstenburg Maryland 3-5
Levine Toilolo Stanford 2-5
Jake Stoneburner Ohio State 2-5
Mychal Rivera Tennessee 3-5
Colter Phillips Virginia 3-5
Philip Lutzenkirchen Auburn 5-7
Andre McDonald Kansas State JR 4-7
Ben Cotton Nebraska 5-7 or Undrafted
Kendrick Moeai Utah Undrafted
Kyler Reed Nebraska 6-7 or Undrafted
Blake Hammond Western Michigan Undrafted
DC Jefferson Rutgers Undrafted
Blake Ayles Miami FL TS Undrafted or not picked up

[D-Unit]

Originally Posted by Ozzy

Clearly not the be all and end all but here is a quick guess to where they might go. And I am sure by the end of the season one could add like five more guy possible that are potential draft picks at tight end.

TE
Tyler Eifert Notre Dame 1-2
Joseph Fauria UCLA 1-2
Chris Gragg Arkansas 2-3
Justin Jones East Carolina JR 1-2
C.J. Fiedorowicz Iowa JR 2-3
Michael Williams Alabama 2-4
Brandon Ford Clemson 2-4
Jordan Reed Florida JR 2-4
Matt Furstenburg Maryland 3-5
Levine Toilolo Stanford 2-5
Jake Stoneburner Ohio State 2-5
Mychal Rivera Tennessee 3-5
Colter Phillips Virginia 3-5
Philip Lutzenkirchen Auburn 5-7
Andre McDonald Kansas State JR 4-7
Ben Cotton Nebraska 5-7 or Undrafted
Kendrick Moeai Utah Undrafted
Kyler Reed Nebraska 6-7 or Undrafted
Blake Hammond Western Michigan Undrafted
DC Jefferson Rutgers Undrafted
Blake Ayles Miami FL TS Undrafted or not picked up

Got a man crush on Toilolo. I really wanted to see where you projected him, but that range is so huge. LOL.

[Ozzy]

D-Unit Got a man crush on Toilolo. I really wanted to see where you projected him, but that range is so huge. LOL.

Depending on who comes out could be true, and if he does not run well that will hurt him also and he could drop, of he if runs well and finishes the year strong he could easily go in the 2nd. Used to be not many tight ends with his size, but now there seems to be a lot of them actually and being 6-8 is not as rare as it used to be. Heck Ladarius Green and Orson Charles were both 4th round guys last year and both have tons of potential and production in college.

[SickwithIt1010]

Telfer is going to be a stud TE in the league, himself and Grimble are damn good. They need to see the rock more at SC, but the WR's take a lot of the touches.

[Leon Sandcastle]

Originally Posted by Don Vito

I think you are talking about Todd Heap's school

Christ. You're right. Todd Heap is the founder.

[niel89]

Toilolo and Ertz are a good combo and should be interesting to see how their draft stock ends up.

Toilolo has height you can't deny and if he is singled up on a corner just try to throw it up to him. He has 6"-9" on most corners in the redzone so its always worth a shot. Runs better than expected & has made strides in blocking. I do always worry about him taking a shot to his knee with those really long legs like he did 2 years ago against Sac St.

Ertz is a much more dynamic player though. Gets split out wide regularly and runs good routes. Adequate blocker. Has some burst and wiggle.

Watch the double move and finish at 4:50 to score the go ahead TD against USC:

[socentre44]

Originally Posted by SickwithIt1010

Telfer is going to be a stud TE in the league, himself and Grimble are damn good. They need to see the rock more at SC, but the WR's take a lot of the touches.

Grimble and Telfer are both future NFL starters and will hopefully get more looks before it's all said and done. Luckily they're RS Sophomores. Fred Davis didn't blow up at SC until his senior year after Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett left.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

Count me on board with Toilolo>Ertz.

[Ozzy]

SickwithIt1010 Telfer is going to be a stud TE in the league, himself and Grimble are damn good. They need to see the rock more at SC, but the WR's take a lot of the touches.

These are the top sophomore tight ends I have seen so far.

Xavier Grimble USC
Tevin Westbrook Florida
Randall Telfer USC RS
Connor Hamlett Oregon State
Nick O'Leary Florida State

And I agree USC should use their tight ends WAY more than they do.


And for freshman Kyle Carter on Penn State looks dang good so far, but it is a very tight end friendly offense their with O'Brien.

[Giantsfan1080]

DC Jefferson has all the tools in the world. He's going to be a good 7th round/UDFA developmental player for someone. He does show some nice flashes and he's still learning the position. It wouldn't shock me after he goes through the process if he ends up maybe in the 5th or 6th though.

[rawdawg]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

DC Jefferson has all the tools in the world. He's going to be a good 7th round/UDFA developmental player for someone. He does show some nice flashes and he's still learning the position. It wouldn't shock me after he goes through the process if he ends up maybe in the 5th or 6th though.

Jefferson is definitely a developmental guy. He reminds me a lot of Taylor Thompson, 5th round pick of the Titans out of SMU last year. Very good athlete, who I believe was recruited as a QB out of high school. Also was a pretty good basketball player, which seems to be a constant for great TEs. He has a long way to go as a football player, but he has the makings of an above average blocker and receiver from the TE position.

[Ozzy]

Giantsfan1080 DC Jefferson has all the tools in the world. He's going to be a good 7th round/UDFA developmental player for someone. He does show some nice flashes and he's still learning the position. It wouldn't shock me after he goes through the process if he ends up maybe in the 5th or 6th though.

I used to love the guy, like really like him but he has flat out disappointed throughout. Always waiting for him to take off, his receiving statistics are a ******* joke. Finally has one more chance this season and he better make the most of it. He could easily be a 3-5 round draft pick but at this point would be lucky to be drafted at all.

Physically he is so impressive just looking at him, but his production is just not there at all. It should not be taking this long to "learn" the position, he should of had it down by his junior year and still as a senior he is not all there impacting the game the way he should or could.

[Giantsfan1080]

The problem was that under Schiano the TE was never featured as a pass catcher at all. You can see his stats are much better already this year so he is taking that next step. We also ran the WildCat when he first switched over so they just asked him to block most of the time which didn't help at all. Also, we have so many different weapons to throw the ball too numbers are going to be deflated a little bit. As I said though I can see anything from the 5th round to a UDFA even though he's going to be impressive at the combine. He reminds me a lot of our own Adrien Robinson who we took in the 4th and he barely any production as a pass catcher.

[Ozzy]

The problem was that under Schiano the TE was never featured as a pass catcher at all. You can see his stats are much better already this year so he is taking that next step. We also ran the WildCat when he first switched over so they just asked him to block most of the time which didn't help at all. Also, we have so many different weapons to throw the ball too numbers are going to be deflated a little bit. As I said though I can see anything from the 5th round to a UDFA even though he's going to be impressive at the combine. He reminds me a lot of our own Adrien Robinson who we took in the 4th and he barely any production as a pass catcher.

True but he was on the radar, had an awesome catch in a game I saw that made one think, who is this guy, that was pretty impressive. And he worked out really well at the combine which helped also. But yes that is an example where production did not mean much, but not sure DC Jefferson has that kind of down the field pass catching ability much less speed which could really hurt him.