By all accounts, Georgia’s Brock Bowers would be the first tight finish taken within the 2024 NFL Draft, however expert tight ends ought to be out there in later rounds. With the appropriate crew, these gamers might do very nicely on the subsequent stage.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Sanders joined the Longhorns as a two-way participant and five-star recruit in 2021 however had no catches and performed totally on particular groups as a real freshman. He rebounded with 50 catches for 613 yards and 5 scores the next 12 months earlier than ending out his collegiate profession with 682 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
At 6-foot-4 and 245 kilos, Sanders has the dimensions to interrupt by site visitors however might want to get stronger to compete on the NFL stage. Like Bowers, he is a superb receiver in line or from the slot with sufficient velocity to show brief passes into lengthy positive factors.
Sanders has drawn comparisons to Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Doubtless and Cleveland TE David Njoku and initiatives as a late second- or early third-round choice for April’s draft.
Cade Stover, Ohio State
Stover was named Ohio’s Mr. Soccer in highschool after speeding for 1,477 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense with 163 tackles and 4 interceptions on protection. He joined the Buckeyes as a linebacker earlier than transferring to defensive finish previous to his freshman season.
He performed some tight finish as a redshirt junior in 2021 however had simply 5 catches for 76 yards whereas filling in at linebacker. After a full-time transfer to tight finish in 2022, the 6-foot-4, 251-pound linebacker-turned-defensive end-turned tight finish had 982 yards and 10 touchdowns over his final two seasons.
As you’d anticipate from a former defensive finish, Stover is a powerful and prepared blocker. As you’d anticipate from any two-way participant, he’s additionally extremely athletic, which permits him to make tough, leaping catches. Nonetheless a piece in progress, Stover initiatives as a third-round choose and has drawn comparisons to Buffalo Payments TE Dawson Knox.
Theo Johnson, Penn State
Right here’s what former NFL quarterback Brock Huard needed to say about Johnson on Seattle Sports activities’ “Brock and Salk” present:
“He’s a 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight finish out of Penn State College. Penn State dudes come into this league fairly nicely outfitted, fairly nicely educated,” Huard stated. “I had them late within the season (on a FOX broadcast) and I used to be on the sector like, ‘That’s a creature. That’s a creature. That’s a distinction maker. That’s an NFL dude.’”
Johnson posted the second-best vertical leap (39.5-inches) and 40-yard sprint time (4.57 seconds) amongst tight ends on the NFL Scouting Mix. As a pure bodily specimen, Johnson may very well be essentially the most intriguing possibility on the place. Projected as a third-round choose, Johnson has been in comparison with Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet and new Saints TE Foster Moreau.
