Published Nov 26, 2015
NFL Draft stock report: TEs
Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell
Publisher
The college football season is close to finished so there's no better time to look at the NFL Draft Watch as players move up and down the board. The third item in our series is an in-depth look at the tight end position.
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MORE: Early-season Draft Watch: WRs/TEs
The skinny: Hooper, a two-way standout at Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, was rated as the No. 29 weak-side defensive end in the 2013 class. Hooper committed to Stanford over Washington, California and Oregon.
Season overview: Hooper is third on the Cardinal with 26 catches for 379 yards and a team-high five touchdowns averaging 14.6 yards per reception.
Farrell's take: Hooper was ranked as a defensive end out of high school and wasn't an overly physical kid, but he would always hustle and was well-coached. The move to offense was a good one for him as he understands spacing well, knows how to find the end zone and is on the same page with Kevin Hogan often. He's certainly not a first-round talent, but he's a guy who is moving up the tight end boards and can flex out perfectly in the right offense.
Honorable Mention
TE
Jerell Adams
South Carolina
Farrell's take: Adams is very effective out of the slot and can stretch the field as a tight end with long strides and good height. He was always a pass-catcher and great athlete first out of high school, projected as a tight end from the quarterback position as a high three-star.
STOCK STEADY
TE
Hunter Henry
Arkansas
The skinny: Henry was rated as the fourth-best tight end in the 2013 class out of Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy. He committed to Arkansas in July, but Alabama and Auburn tried to steal him as the Razorbacks hired a new coach. The four-star decided to stick with Arkansas.
Season overview: Henry is second on the Razorbacks with 44 receptions for 619 yards and three touchdowns. He averages more than 14 yards per catch.
Farrell's take: I've liked Henry as much as almost any tight end I scouted in high school because he was huge, agile, willing to block but could also flex and be a nightmare matchup. He remains on top of the boards at tight end and has first-round potential. We should have had him ranked higher, and that's on me.
TE
O.J. Howard
Alabama
The skinny: The Autauga (Ala.) Autauga Academy recruit was a five-star prospect, the top tight end in the 2013 class and No. 16 overall. He is one of only eight tight ends to ever earn five-star recognition by Rivals.com. Howard committed to Alabama on the spot after being offered. The five-star tight end grew up an Auburn fan but felt the Alabama offense fit him best.
Season overview: Howard is third on the team with 30 catches for 335 yards but no touchdowns this season.
Farrell's take: The most physically impressive tight end I have ever scouted, Howard was a five-star and at one point was our highest-ranked player ever at his position. Then he went off to Alabama and has been ignored in the offense often. This kid will kill it at the combine and at his pro day and has first-round talent and athleticism. I'm still scratching my head how he has two career touchdowns.
Honorable Mention
TE
Bucky Hodges
Virginia Tech
Farrell's take: A massive four-star quarterback in high school, Hodges has emerged as a big, downfield target for the Hokies who will pass the eyeball test for pro scouts. You want to talk about a sleeper who could do some things during the combine and pro day with his size and athletic ability, watch out here. He's not a natural pass-catcher yet, but he's a matchup nightmare.
STOCK DOWN
TE
Evan Engram
Ole Miss
The skinny: Engram was a three-star prospect from Powder Springs (Ga.) Hillgrove who was rated as the No. 34 tight end in the 2013 class. He committed to Ole Miss over a majority of low-level Division I offers in the summer. UCLA was showing interest, but he stuck with the Rebels.
Season overview: Engram is fifth on the Ole Miss team with 30 receptions for 325 yards and two touchdowns. He's averaging less than 30 receiving yards per game.
Farrell's take: Engram has taken a step back from last year and his size was already a question, so he's free-falling a bit. He's a good pass-catcher, but he can't block well at the NFL level and he's just not a big target.
TE
Kyle Carter
Penn State
The skinny: Carter was a two-star prospect out of New Castle (Del.) William Penn in the 2011 class. He was third in the Delaware state rankings. One day after being offered by Penn State, Carter committed to the Nittany Lions. Bucknell and Delaware were his only other offers.
Season overview: Carter has just 12 catches for 122 yards and no touchdowns.
Farrell's take: Talk about a regression as the offense changed at Penn State, Christian Hackenberg isn't the only one. Carter caught 36 passes as a freshman and we started to think our low two-star ranking was going to make us look really bad. Since then, his receptions and touchdowns have fallen each year and he's not high on those NFL draft boards anymore.
Honorable Mention
TE
Jay Rome
Georgia
Farrell's take: Rome, a former Rivals100 four-star prospect, has never been a big receiving target in Georgia's offense, which has utilized the tight end quite a bit in the past. But he's a good blocker and there was some talk of him getting more involved in the offense this year. That hasn't happened and the potential we saw in high school has not been realized.
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
Adam Gorney
National Recruiting Analyst
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