2022 Official Bolts Draft Superthread

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  • beachcomber
    & ramblin' man
    • Jan 2019
    • 5181
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    Originally posted by Steve View Post

    Vitea Vea played almost every down in the games I saw him play in Washington. He played a lot of downs for such a big guy. He was also somewhat productive as a pass rusher in college, although he was pretty lazy about it. He did the usual thing where he let the OL block him, see what the QB does, then shed the block and run him down. That works well for a lot of college pass rushers because so many college QB hold the ball too long and college OL are not nearly as good as NFL OL are. But when they go up against NFL OL, EVERY guy is the best OL from his college team (or an all-star if there were multiple NFL players on the same college roster), they can sustain their blocks a lot longer, and the QB don't hold the ball nearly as long as college players do. Even though he provides some pass rush and penetration ability, he only plays about 50% of the snaps for TB.

    Some more comps

    Danny Shelton (12th pick for Cleveland in . He was another one of the big impossible to block guys who is out there. He was starting to turn into a great player for the Browns, but he has gotten sloppy, he gets no penetration, add no pass rush, and basically just takes up space along the line. It is true he doesn't get pushed around that much, but that just means teams can run at the hole he is defending. He doesn't get double teamed that much, and is mostly a wasted space when the offense throws the ball on early downs. In 7 seasons in the NFL, he is on his 4th team, and that includes a year where he was turning into one of the better run stuffers in the NFL. Now he just takes up space, which is what it looks like Davis would do.
    am guessing when you say "the block" you are talking in pluralities, as if you watched Vea much, you certainly noticed that a double team was the norm and a triple not overly uncommon, and not sure how you could call him 1 on 2, or 1 on 3 as anything close to lazy....

    and not sold on Davis, as not a fan of his intangibles, but do think he is (easily) worth 17 overall, as recall getting showered w/the same hubris re: Vea and how sure peoples were that he wouldn't be nothing but a part time player @NT.... I think it's fairly obvious how TB woulda done without him in the middle.... in fact didn't their playoff push coincide w/Vea's return ??

    also know that a certain very confident poster here panned Dexter Lawrence, who again was not overly excited about him personally, but dude was anything but a bust, and got overdrafted by many peoples accounts.

    and re: Davis, the bottom line for me, is look @how Georgia's defense was before he showed up, and do wonder how Georgia's D will be without him, and also wonder how some of his teammates are going to fare in the NFL, and without the benefit of Davis taking on all comers in the center of their D ??

    reminds me of Star Lotulelei, and how disappointed I was that we didn't draft him, and I wasn't alone in that case, and.... still got grief post draft and for the years to follow for the same thing, that he was just an inconsequential oversized NT that didn't really impact the success of his team, didn't have any stats to back up his play, etc.

    well, given all that, I did some follow up, and what I dug up was that Buffalo's D was considerably better post his arrival, and ditto for Carolina's after he arrived, and.... how short lived was Kawann Short after the departure of Star ??

    there are others that am much more interested in, but again personally don't think it wise to write off Davis, as think the odds are that he is going to be a valuable contributor for someone, and really improve the defense as a whole, for whichever team drafts him.

    will also add that have always liked Shelton for his intangibles, and still think he would be a solid rotational piece for us @NT.

    Comment

    • equivocation
      Registered Charger Fan
      • Apr 2021
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      I wasn't around here for these various discussions but Davis reminds me absolutely nothing of Vea. Vea plays with low pad level, has good pop in his first step, and is constantly working his hands and chopping his feet. He never leans on the OL and is never content being blocked. This was especially clear in his JR year tape with his improved hand use. He slugs his hands right into the chest plate with good forward lean and leg drive, and is constantly pushing, pulling, and re leveraging so the OL can't set his feet and anchor. Most of his TFLs come from defeating a block in a big way. (I was a big fan of his coming out). He's like a cross between a bowling ball and a tasmanian devil.


      It's hard to assess any of the Georgia DL play because they shift so much pre snap. Most of Davis' "highlight" plays come when they shift toward the zone flow. For example, Davis would shift to the 4i and the guard would have to try to reach block him to the outside shoulder for an outside run. Davis would just run through the gap unopposed. When he engages with a blocker he leans and pushes rather than working his hands to advantage. His feet tend to idle. He also tends to play way too upright.

      The only similarity I see between Davis and Vea is their weight. I'll say the name again, but Travis Jones reminds me much more of Vea, although less of an athlete and less balance/bend. Both are 6'4" and play low. Both have active and heavy hands.

      Georgia has 7 or 8 defenders that will be drafted so of course the D will be worse.

      Comment

      • wu-dai clan
        Smooth Operation
        • May 2017
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        Good post, equiv !!
        Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

        Comment

        • 21&500
          Bolt Spit-Baller
          • Sep 2018
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          Higglights are fun and worth watching to see what a guy can do but a lot of the time, these so-called highlights are actually just low-lights from the competition.
          That's a bit a red flag to me.
          Darius "4.36" Davis
          top play speed: 23.47 MPH

          SDP2024: (Triple Play)

          Comment

          • dmac_bolt
            JH3 and Me
            • May 2019
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            • North of the Lagoon
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            Originally posted by beachcomber View Post

            he means who is receiving the negative press this go 'round.... Davis or Johnson ??
            It was the opposite of negative, it was positive early press on JDavis. My instinct that we need a stronger player in the A gap that isn’t getting constantly blown off the line combined with his hype and swirled together in a sugary infatuation of JD highlights. Then several here cautioned he’s an oft-useless slob. So I became more thoughtful in my evaluation and looked at more video and I see what they are saying. Red flags. I decided my initial take was wrong.

            I’d love Johnson at 17 to bookended Joey. I think they can get a good DT in Rd2 or 3. Edge is more of a difference position
            “Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”

            Comment

            • Boltnut
              Registered Charger Fan
              • Feb 2019
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              Davis is a mountain of a man. And like Beach, I think he would improve any defense.
              I loved Lotuleilei and wanted him over Fluker. I also thought bringing in Vea and Suh was a great idea for Tampa Bay.
              But... I think Staley's defense looks for a different kind of NT.
              On top of that, I have a hard time choosing a rotational player @#17. I want a guy that will be on the field 80+% of the time.
              FA Sebastian-Joseph remains my #1 wish... followed by Austin Johnson.

              Re-sign your own. Then spend wisely in FA. Best return for your dollar.
              OLineCentric

              Comment

              • Boltjolt
                Dont let the PBs fool ya
                • Jun 2013
                • 27912
                • Henderson, NV
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                Originally posted by 21&500 View Post
                Higglights are fun and worth watching to see what a guy can do but a lot of the time, these so-called highlights are actually just low-lights from the competition.
                That's a bit a red flag to me.
                Highlights are just that. You won't learn much from those but be wary and look further into a player whose highlights are only 2 minutes long lol. And yes, consider the competition.

                If you want to see more from a player you have to watch a whole game and there are many that have been edited to just watch the plays with little of the replays and in between BS.

                Comment

                • Boltjolt
                  Dont let the PBs fool ya
                  • Jun 2013
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                  • Henderson, NV
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                  Originally posted by Boltnut View Post
                  Davis is a mountain of a man. And like Beach, I think he would improve any defense.
                  I loved Lotuleilei and wanted him over Fluker. I also thought bringing in Vea and Suh was a great idea for Tampa Bay.
                  But... I think Staley's defense looks for a different kind of NT.
                  On top of that, I have a hard time choosing a rotational player @#17. I want a guy that will be on the field 80+% of the time.
                  FA Sebastian-Joseph remains my #1 wish... followed by Austin Johnson.

                  Re-sign your own. Then spend wisely in FA. Best return for your dollar.
                  If the window is 3 years then FAs on the IDL might be best. I don't believe our only window is 3 years but a rookie DL will take at least 1 season to improve to what we drafted him to be.
                  There are exceptions but that seems to be the norm more than not.

                  Tillery is still getting there. BJ Hill is about there and why I'd like to pluck him from Cinci and he has reduced wear and tear from not being a starter since day 1.
                  Hicks may be a good short time get on a 2 year deal. SJD another who is there if we can pry him from the Rams.

                  Comment

                  • Boltnut
                    Registered Charger Fan
                    • Feb 2019
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                    Originally posted by Boltjolt View Post

                    If the window is 3 years then FAs on the IDL might be best. I don't believe our only window is 3 years but a rookie DL will take at least 1 season to improve to what we drafted him to be.
                    There are exceptions but that seems to be the norm more than not.

                    Tillery is still getting there. BJ Hill is about there and why I'd like to pluck him from Cinci and he has reduced wear and tear from not being a starter since day 1.
                    Hicks may be a good short time get on a 2 year deal. SJD another who is there if we can pry him from the Rams.
                    All those guys you mention would be good options. They won't break the bank, either.
                    We'll see what the Rams do. They have major cap issues.
                    Cinci looks good (cap wise) but they have a lot of free agents to re-sign (just like us).
                    Giants (Austin Johnson), 49ers (DJ Jones), and Bills (Harrison Phillips) are other teams that have cap issues and may not be able to bring back many of their free agents.
                    OLineCentric

                    Comment

                    • dmac_bolt
                      JH3 and Me
                      • May 2019
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                      • North of the Lagoon
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                      Originally posted by Boltjolt View Post

                      If the window is 3 years then FAs on the IDL might be best. I don't believe our only window is 3 years but a rookie DL will take at least 1 season to improve to what we drafted him to be.
                      There are exceptions but that seems to be the norm more than not.

                      Tillery is still getting there. BJ Hill is about there and why I'd like to pluck him from Cinci and he has reduced wear and tear from not being a starter since day 1.
                      Hicks may be a good short time get on a 2 year deal. SJD another who is there if we can pry him from the Rams.
                      To hone skills to true elite, you’re probably right. But to just be better than last year’s DL - i think a Rd 1 or 2 rookie can do that before camp breaks if we pick the right one. Then after improving constantly all year long … and by the playoffs he’s a 2nd year vet and shredding the wheat. And being 22 yo, he’s still got gas in the tank.

                      yes, I said playoffs

                      Jim Mora Playoffs GIF
                      “Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”

                      Comment

                      • Steve
                        Administrator
                        • Jun 2013
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                        • South Carolina
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                        Originally posted by beachcomber View Post

                        am guessing when you say "the block" you are talking in pluralities, as if you watched Vea much, you certainly noticed that a double team was the norm and a triple not overly uncommon, and not sure how you could call him 1 on 2, or 1 on 3 as anything close to lazy....

                        and not sold on Davis, as not a fan of his intangibles, but do think he is (easily) worth 17 overall, as recall getting showered w/the same hubris re: Vea and how sure peoples were that he wouldn't be nothing but a part time player @NT.... I think it's fairly obvious how TB woulda done without him in the middle.... in fact didn't their playoff push coincide w/Vea's return ??

                        also know that a certain very confident poster here panned Dexter Lawrence, who again was not overly excited about him personally, but dude was anything but a bust, and got overdrafted by many peoples accounts.

                        and re: Davis, the bottom line for me, is look @how Georgia's defense was before he showed up, and do wonder how Georgia's D will be without him, and also wonder how some of his teammates are going to fare in the NFL, and without the benefit of Davis taking on all comers in the center of their D ??

                        reminds me of Star Lotulelei, and how disappointed I was that we didn't draft him, and I wasn't alone in that case, and.... still got grief post draft and for the years to follow for the same thing, that he was just an inconsequential oversized NT that didn't really impact the success of his team, didn't have any stats to back up his play, etc.

                        well, given all that, I did some follow up, and what I dug up was that Buffalo's D was considerably better post his arrival, and ditto for Carolina's after he arrived, and.... how short lived was Kawann Short after the departure of Star ??

                        there are others that am much more interested in, but again personally don't think it wise to write off Davis, as think the odds are that he is going to be a valuable contributor for someone, and really improve the defense as a whole, for whichever team drafts him.

                        will also add that have always liked Shelton for his intangibles, and still think he would be a solid rotational piece for us @NT.
                        As far as Vitea Vea in college, he was pretty lazy. He stayed at the line of scrimmage (or very close to it) and then waited until he could react to the ball. If it was a QB or RB, he didn't get a good push into the backfield and THEN do something, he sat at the line and waited. A lot of the really HUGE good athlete types do. A lot of college DL in general do. But that is not going to help you make plays in the NFL. He did get double teamed at the line, but he really was never splitting the double teams and establishing a new line of scrimmedge in the backfield in college.

                        Vea is one of the exceptions to the rule, in that his crappy college play didn't limit stop him from learning to play in the NFL. He changed his lazy (leaning and shedding vs moving upfield and penetrating), style and learned how the big boys do it in the NFL. He is a great athlete, and either he made the conscious decision to change his style of play or his coaches got through to him. Either way, it was a case of a huge player who was a great athlete who changed how he played. Dontari Poe and Shelton also had some stretches where they did the same thing, although not as effectively as Vea has.

                        For the most part, the huge, amazing athlete guys who are sloppy in college don't change their style of play. Obviously, Vea did, there are always exceptions, although with Shelton and Poe, it may be a case of him only playing well for a year or two, only time will tell on that one. But in any case, Vea is one of the very few who did change his style of play. He has clearly worked hard to go from a decent college player to a very good NT in the NFL. Most of the rest either didn't keep it up or never did change, and that is where the RISK in draft these guys are.

                        Davis has the potential to be an amazing NFL player. He needs to learn to play a lot lower, a lot harder, and use his hands better. He has the movement skills, that if he can explode off the ball, get his hands on an OL, he can throw and shed OL around. On the plays where he doesn't, if he can get some initial movement, no OL in football will be able to move him off the ball, and he will be one of the best-run stuffers in NFL history. Again, looking at the "other" big players, they had that same potential and didn't do it. My guess is that it is because so many of these guys have played football so easily, that they either don't want to work hard or think their game is already up to it. So, it is all about how you feel he will work out. But for me, if I am going to draft a guy at #17, it can't just be about how you project a guy to improve. He has to do more of it than he has so far to take a guy like Davis.

                        Your point about Star and Lawrence is they are similar sort of players to Shelton and Poe. Somewhat productive, but not the Planet person types that they were billed as when they came out to be drafted. Star signed a pretty big contract with the Bills (his cap number was just short of $8 mill), he had 9 tackles, 3 sacks, played 300+ snaps and got a 31 for a run defense grade from PFF. Lawrence is better, he played 700+ snaps, got 40 tackles 3 sacks and his run grade was 57 (pff). Star was taken in the 14th pick and Lawrence with the 17th pick.

                        It is a great thing to have a NT type who impossible to run against(or even more than 1) on a DL. With all the stunting and 5 man pressures in Staley's D, those types of guys are really handy, in that they can try and tie up multiple players. But if they are big, slow (off the ball) lump of goo, does an NFL OL really need to double team him?

                        Comment

                        • Fleet 1
                          TPB Founder
                          • Jun 2013
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                          • Kauai
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                          Clustering the top 2022 NFL Draft TE prospects: Colorado State's Trey McBride, Texas A&M's Jalen Wydermyer and more




                          Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Colorado State Rams tight end Trey McBride (85) runs with the ball after a catch against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

                          By Conor McQuiston
                          Feb 18, 2022
                          Only one tight end prospect, Colorado State’s Trey McBride, currently ranks within the top 64 on PFF's big board, although five more are within the top 150 prospects. Thus, the edges this year come in attempting to find the TEs who best fit a particular offense. These prospects all come from vastly different offenses, were asked to do different things and played with quarterbacks of varying skill levels. So, how do we go about evaluating them with data?

                          Similar to what we’ve already done with the 2022 quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive linemen, linebackers, defensive backs, running backs, offensive tackles and interior offensive linemen, we can do this with k-means clustering. This process allows us to group together similar players and learn about their strengths and weaknesses by comparison. For our purposes, we will be looking at the 103 FBS tight ends who have been drafted since 2015 and prospects who are likely to be drafted in 2022, then we'll try to answer two questions:
                          1. What were the prospects asked to do?
                          2. How did the prospects produce?

                          Our first question will be broken down into two subquestions: What did the offense want to do with the prospect structurally, and what routes did the player run? We’ll start with the routes question, which unfortunately reduces our sample — PFF began charting non-targeted routes for college football only in 2018. We are left with 42 tight ends, which is sizable relative to the whole sample but prevents us from comparing to older tight ends.
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                          Usage Clusters



                          UNDERNEATH SLOT RECEIVER TEUNDERNEATH IN-LINE TE


                          As the name would suggest, these players tend to be attached to the line of scrimmage with their hands in the dirt, and they mostly get targeted near the line of scrimmage. Therefore, they have more responsibilities against first-level defenders in the run game and are more frequently asked to provide support in pass protection. As such, these players are generally bigger and stronger than their slot receiver variants. In the passing game, they are still expected to be competent route runners, but getting targeted near the line of scrimmage doesn’t necessarily imply they are expected to create after the catch. Sometimes that's the case, but some of these players could also be targeted only on check downs. Which bucket the player falls into can only be determined via film study.

                          Alabama Crimson Tide O.J. Howard was an example of an underneath in-line tight end.
                          SLOT RECEIVER TE


                          The broad strokes of what applies to Underneath Slot Receivers also apply to Slot Receivers. They are generally leaner since they are expected to run crisp routes and contribute more to the passing game over being forces against first-level defenders as blockers. The main difference is that they are targeted more often down the field as opposed to near the line of scrimmage. This implies that they were expected to win before or during the catch using route running or physicality — not as much after the catch.

                          Miami Hurricane Clive Walford was an example of a slot receiver tight end.
                          IN-LINE TE


                          Blocking-wise, In-Line TEs and Underneath In-Line TEs are more or less tasked with the same role of matching up against first-level defenders and occasional support in pass protection. The main difference is that in-line tight ends were targeted down the field more often. That likely means they were expected to be more involved in the passing game and not just be outlet passes/check downs. Since offenses that heavily feature in-line tight ends do not often design underneath passes to them, we can expect these players who are targeted downfield to generally be superior athletes.

                          Penn State Nittany Lion Jesse James was an example of an in-line tight end.
                          H-BACK TE


                          These players are where you find your fullback/tight end hybrids. They’ll often have shorter, stockier builds since they are expected to lead block with a running start against first- and second-level defenders. As a result of the players' alignment, most of their targets come on screens or on passes near the line of scrimmage, and most of their passing game production comes after the catch.

                          North Carolina State's Jaylen Samuels was an example of an H-back tight end.
                          PFF's 2022 NFL Draft Guide provides analysis, strengths/weaknesses, comparisons, grades and more for all of college football's top prospects. Subscribe today for access…CHAIN-MOVER TE


                          There is a significant amount of overlap between Chain-Movers and In-Line TEs. Since they mostly line up in-line or as a wing, they share similar blocking responsibilities to the two prior in-line groups. The differentiating factor between these three clusters is that chain-movers are more frequently targeted in an intermediate range, between 6-19 yards. This roughly corresponds to how far the first-down marker is from the line of scrimmage on most passes, implying these tight ends are primarily targeted at or near the sticks. From here, we can gather that these players are expected to win before or during the catch in the passing game, either through physicality or separation.

                          Minnesota Golden Gopher Maxx Williams was an example of a chain-mover tight end.
                          BIG RECEIVER TE


                          These players spent a majority of their snaps out wide aligned as the No. 1 receiver or within the slot. They rarely lined up attached to the line of scrimmage, which functionally means they were expected to be wide receivers in most of their games. Thus, these athletes tend to be slimmer and more explosive with crisper routes but lack the reps to be consistent blockers, at least during their rookie NFL season.

                          Mississippi State Bulldog Jordan Thomas was an example of a big receiver tight end.
                          Route Clusters



                          SLANT-HEAVY TE


                          As the name would suggest, these players were defined by their high frequency of slant routes, and this also correlated with a high number of screens and crossers. These players ran most other routes at an average rate relative to the other groups. The predominance of slants, crossers and screens within their route tree, however, suggests these players were expected to be dangerous after the catch, and they were thus given ample opportunities to do so.

                          Florida Gator Kyle Pitts ran a slant-heavy route tree.
                          UNDERNEATH TARGET TE


                          There is a significant amount of overlap between Underneath Target and Slant-Heavy players. Namely, each group tended to run shorter routes. Underneath target tight ends were saturated with crossers, hitches, ins and outs, which could suggest these players were similarly expected to excel after the catch and given the chance to do so. Alternatively, these routes are consistent with the routes of checkdowns on many plays and thus can be a result of the players not being primary options on passes. Film study is the only way to delineate between the two.

                          Penn State Nittany Lion Pat Freiermuth ran an underneath target route tree.
                          OUT/IN TE


                          If route depth were incorporated into this dataset, then this cluster would likely either be grouped with the earlier Underneath Targets or the still-to-come MOF Downfield Targets. The notable feature of this group is that most of their routes are either outs or crossing routes. Depending on the depth of these routes, this could either make them similar to underneath target tight ends where their goal is to either be a checkdown option or create after the catch. Or they could be similar to MOF downfield target tight ends, where the goal is to find seams in zones.

                          Boston College Eagle Hunter Long was an example of a tight end who ran an out or in route tree.
                          GO AND SCREEN TE


                          Relative to the groups, Go and Screen TEs are the most stratified group. An outsized portion of their routes was categorized as screen or go routes, as their name would suggest. We can assume coaching staffs expected these players to either win big down the field, likely at the catch point, or create after the catch in screens. From here we can take the small logical leap that these players are likely to be explosive athletes who lack refinement when running routes.

                          Miami Hurricane Brevin Jordan ran a go and screen route tree.
                          2022 NFL Draft position rankings:
                          Top 10 players at every position



                          QB | RB | WR | TE | iOL | OT | DI | EDGE | LB | CB | S
                          MIDDLE-OF-FIELD DOWNFIELD TARGET TE


                          As hinted earlier, MOF Downfield Target TEs have a single goal: to find the soft spot in zones. Whether that is a go route in a seam, a post route against a two-high shell or an in-route against a Cover 3 look, the players in this group are running routes on the prowl for open space. This implies that coaching staffs are expecting them to generate big plays by being naturally open as a product of the defensive coverage. The players require at least some level of athleticism to exploit these gaps.

                          Stanford Cardinal Colby Parkinson ran a MOF downfield target route tree.
                          DEEP BREAKER TE


                          In the end, Deep Breaker TEs largely have the same effect as MOF Downfield Target Tes. They run routes that are meant to exploit gaps in coverage, except with corners, deep crossers and posts. What can be said of middle-of-field downfield target tight ends can also be said of deep breaker tight ends, just with the added caveat that this appears to be how Notre Dame — in the Tommy Rees era, specifically — likes to use its tight ends.

                          Notre Dame's Cole Kmet was an example of a tight end who ran a deep breaker route tree.
                          Production Clusters



                          YAC THREAT TE


                          Unsurprisingly, these players are the best after the catch of any group. They generate more missed tackles, average the most yards after the catch and boast the highest explosive reception rate. The cluster tends to have subpar hands and fumbles more often, but this is tolerated as a result of the upside the after-the-catch ability brings. These players tend to be the most athletic and explosive of any group.

                          Miami Hurricane David Njoku was an example of a YAC threat tight end.
                          STRONG ALL-AROUND TE


                          These players were heavily featured within their offenses and were relied on to produce. They were nearly as explosive as YAC Threats but did not force as many missed tackles, nor did they average as many yards after catch despite being above average in both statistics. This would imply that, while being strong after the catch, they do not reach the same heights as their YAC Threat counterparts. Instead, they rely more on winning at the catch point, signaling they are good, not great athletes. Their run-block win rate is not notably better or worse than any other group, but these players are thought of as better blockers.

                          Iowa Hawkeye T.J. Hockensen was an example of a strong all-around tight end.
                          LOW-UTILIZATION TE


                          The primary feature of this group is that they were not targeted very often relative to other players on their own team. In the raw production metrics, they were largely lesser versions of Strong All-Around TEs. They were more explosive than average and forced an average number of missed tackles, but both fall behind the aforementioned group. They did generate plenty of yards after the catch and rarely dropped or fumbled the ball. This indicates these players are generally high-level athletes and at least competent blockers, but the reasons they went untargeted is worth investigating via film study.

                          Ole Miss Rebel Dawson Knox produced like a low-utilization tight end.


                          FUMBLER TE


                          In a shocking outcome, Fumblers don’t just tend to fumble quite often, but they also tend to drop the ball. FBS tight ends tend to not get too many touches, so one flukey fumble can undeservingly place a player in this group, making it difficult to come to sweeping conclusions about them. We can say that these players tend to force an above-average number of missed tackles, implying a level of explosion and athleticism to make tolerating the fumbles worthwhile. Unfortunately, film study would serve as the best tool to fully evaluate this group.

                          Iowa Hawkeye George Kittle was an example of a fumbler tight end.
                          DROPS ISSUE TE


                          Much of what can be said for Fumblers also applies to Drops Issue TEs. Drops are a more frequent occurrence, however, and thus it is more difficult to be undeserving of this group. That being said, the individual skill sets of these players are still immensely varied and difficult to make sweeping generalizations about. One thing tying them together is their barely above-average forced missed tackle rate, but since multiple different kinds of players can struggle with drops, it is not a straightforward statement. Once again, film study is necessary to determine players' strengths and weaknesses in this cluster.

                          Stanford Cardinal Austin Hooper was an example of a tight end with a drops issue.
                          BLOCKING SPECIALIST TE


                          These players simply were not given an adequate number of touches to properly evaluate them. When they did get the ball, their touches were not particularly efficient or explosive, nor did they force many missed tackles. This suggests either they are individually unsuccessful with the ball in their hands or their touches were saturated with low efficiency plays, such as checkdowns. They were effective blockers, though, evidenced by their leading run-block win rate. Athletic testing should be able to bear out whether these players are able to expand to a more pass-centric role.

                          Former Auburn Tiger C.J. Uzomah was an example of a blocking specialist tight end.
                          PFF's customizable mock draft simulator gives you the opportunity to be the GM for any team in the 2022 NFL Draft. Try it today — it's free!
                          Here is how the top 2022 tight end prospects stack up:
                          Name Usage Cluster Route Cluster Production Cluster
                          Jalen Wydermeyer Chain-Mover MOF Downfield Targets Drops Issue
                          Trey McBride Underneath In-Line TE Out/In Strong All-Around TE
                          Jeremy Ruckert Chain-Mover Underneath Targets Fumbler
                          Cade Otton Underneath In-Line TE Out/In Fumbler
                          Derrick Deese Jr. Chain-Mover Deep Breaker Strong All-Around TE
                          Cole Turner Slot Receiver Go and Screen Strong All-Around TE
                          Charlie Kolar Slot Receiver Out/In Strong All-Around TE
                          Jake Ferguson Underneath In-Line TE Underneath Targets Drops Issue
                          Jelani Woods In-Line TE MOF Downfield Targets YAC Threat

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