THE NFL DRAFT REPORT PRESENTS
THE 2019 TIGHT END CLASS
THIS HAWKEYE HAS SOARED ABOVE THE REST
Thomas "T.J." Hockenson, Jr.-#38
University of Iowa Hawkeye
6:04.6-251
Agility Tests...4.70 in the 40-yard dash…1.63 10-yard dash…2.75 20-yard dash…4.18 20-yard shuttle…11.55 60-yard shuttle…7.02 three-cone drill…37 1/2-inch vertical jump…10'-03" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times…32 1/4-inch arm length…9 1/2-inch hands…77 7/8-inch wingspan.
Background...Hockenson is the torch bearer for the Hawkeyes' dominance in the draft, as the school has had a nearly two-decade string of producing quality talent at his position. Labeled the "tight end factory" by most scouts, the race to draft an Iowa tight end began when Mackey Award winner, Dallas Clark, was the 24th pick in the 2003 draft by Indianapolis. He went on to start 118-of-141 games through 2013, pulling in 505 passes for 5,665 yards and 53 touchdowns.
Scott Chandler, a fourth round selection by San Diego in 2007, played in ninety contests, as he made 205 catches, scoring 21 times. Brandon Myers, Oakland's sixth round choice in 2009, secured 199 tosses in seven seasons. Tony Moeaki snatched 91 balls in six NFL seasons after he was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round back in 2010.
Concussion issues forced 2014 third round Houston pick, C.J. Fiedorowicz to retire early, but in three-plus seasons, he scored six times on 89 grabs. The current NFL standout is George Kittle, a fifth round San Francisco selection in 2017. In two seasons, he's snagged 131 tosses for 1,892 yards, setting the league record for tight ends with 1,377 receiving yards, becoming the first tight end in team history to reach the 1,000-yard level.
Now, Hockenson and Noah Fant are on the verge of draft history - becoming the first tandem at the same position from the same school to be selected in the draft's opening round. The 2018 Mackey Award winner was actually Fant's "wing man" when the season began, but it soon became apparent to scouts and even his own coaches, that Hockenson was by far one of the most complete tight ends to enter the draft in decades.
Heath Miller, Mark Bavaro, Travis Kelce - these are the names that this Hawkeye has heard when analysts try to compare him to former or present greats at the position. Perhaps the split of opinions is due to the fact that Hockenson might have at least one "ingredient" from each of the three mentioned?
Hockenson did not just come out of nowhere. At local Chariton High School, the Iowa native began to show his skills as a freshman, pulling down twenty tosses for 294 yards and four scores to earn All-District honors for a run-oriented team. Playing on both sides of the ball as a sophomore, he received the first of three all-state nods, as the all-district pick opened the aerial game with sixty receptions for 931 yards and ten touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, he posted fifteen tackles and returned one of two interceptions for a score.
Another All-State and All-District nod came his way during a junior season that saw Hockenson make 73 receptions for 1,116 yards and 18 touchdowns, while collecting 22 tackles and one interception on defense. Those same post season accolades were accorded him as a senior, as he closed out that season recording 85 catches for 1,219 yards and 17 touchdowns. The defensive back also had 39 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions on defense.
He would finish his prep playing days owning the school records for receiving yards in a game, season, and career. He also still holds records for touchdown receptions in a season and career.
Hockenson was rated as a three-star recruit and the fourth highest rated recruit in the state of Iowa in the class of 2016 by the 247Sports.com.
On June 20th, 2015, Hockenson committed to becoming an Iowa Hawkeye. After red-shirting at Iowa in 2016, Hockenson arrived at 2017 fall camp with nearly fifteen pounds of muscle added to his then 243-pound frame. He was part of the team's two-tight end first unit, as the Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection also earned honorable mention on the league's All-Freshman team after he recorded 24-of 32 targeted receptions for 320 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2018, the Mackey Award winner garnered consensus All-American honors. The recipient of the Ozzie Newsome Award from the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio, he was named the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year in the Big Ten. He was also an Academic All-Big Ten choice for the second year and a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten Conference choice. The red-shirt sophomore not only paced his squad with 88 knockdowns, he also led the Hawkeyes with 760 yards receiving while placing second with 49 catches and six touchdowns via 64 targets.
Hockenson announced after the bowl season that 2018 was the last of his college career and that he was entering the 2019 draft. In just two seasons at Iowa, he ranks 38th in career receiving yards with 1,080 yards on 73 receptions, while scoring nine receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
His 2018 season saw him ranked seventh in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (58.5), eighth in receiving yards (760) and 11th in yards per catch (15.5).
Hockenson participated in 1,441 offensive snaps during his Iowa career, catching 76.04% of the passes targeted to him (73-of-96). He dropped just two of those tosses and amassed 500 of his receiving yards (46.3%) after the catch.
The Scouting Report
Athletic Ability... Hockenson has a good-sized frame with solid overall muscle development, thick, cut legs, good bubble, no softness in the midsection, broad shoulders and chest width, with room to add more bulk (ten pounds) with no loss in his above average quickness. He has the long arms and big hands teams look for in a prototype tight end and with his upper body muscle definition, he has had very good success in breaking arm tackles for extra yardage after the catch.
Hockenson shows above average agility, balance, speed, vision, change of direction moves and excellent hand/eye coordination. The thing that makes him stand out the most is his quickness in-&-out of his breaks and off the line of scrimmage. Scouts recognize that this is a player with very good vision, as he shows urgency working back to the quarterback when the pocket is compromised and he shows good pad level, base and hand punch stalking and neutralizing second level defenders as a blocker. He is quite flexible for a player his size and his ability to contort his body and elevate for high throws reminds analysts of the Chiefs' Travis Kelce.
Hockenson stays on his feet and displays outstanding balance moving the chains after the catch (see Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois contests). He is quite effective at gaining separation underneath and shows the quick burst needed to get into deep patterns. He is flexible with his body movements extending for the ball away from his frame and has that crisp change of direction agility to come out of his breaks cleanly. He is almost certainly the best athlete at his position eligible for the 2019 draft. He is an elite chain mover (83% of his catches resulted in first downs) and a powerful open field runner who runs with a smooth, athletic stride.
Release...Hockenson has outstanding ability to escape the hold-up at the line of scrimmage, as he has the head fakes and hip snap to elude and get a clean release, along with the punishing hand punch to defeat press coverage. He runs at a low pad level that allows him to elude and break free once he gets into the second level. He can release with his strength or his feet. He uses his hands effectively to escape the hold up at the line of scrimmage. He also has more than enough foot quickness to break arm tackles and run through defenders to generate big yardage after the catch (see Indiana, Wisconsin, Northwestern games).
He is very combative fighting through any potential jam and shows good urgency to quickly get into his route. He uses his hands with force to keep defenders away from his chest and he is very slippery when avoiding linebackers and safeties trying to reroute him in a crowd. He runs with good acceleration vs. both man and zone coverage. One thing that added reps allowed him to do in 2018 was to refine his head fakes and swim moves. He has the balance and body control to weave through traffic, especially when avoiding under coverage and once he builds to top speed, he is a load to bring down in the open field.
Acceleration/Quickness...Hockenson uses his size and quickness well in order to be able to exploit the center of the field. He does a very good job of working back to the quarterback and locating the ball on short routes. He has the deep speed needed to find the open seam. He also does a very nice job of looking the ball in and tracking the pigskin over his shoulders. With his size, he is a big, inviting target who plays with above average field and coverage awareness working in the short areas (see Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois games). He is a big, rangy type who has become comfortable using his long arms and sure hands to be an inviting target for his quarterback when operating vs. zone coverage (quick to locate and settle into the soft areas).
Hockenson is very combative when trying to stay open, knowing how to use his hands to push off defenders without getting “caught” by the game officials. He shows good synchronicity with the passer and works back to the pocket when the quarterback is pressured. One of his best assets, especially rare for a tight end, is his ability to find the open seams on deep routes. He also has the eyes and upper body flexibility to track the ball over his outside shoulder on those deep patterns. Much like the New England tight ends, where Hockenson really excels is with his ability to cover ground and be a valid deep threat working down field.
Route Running...In 2018, Hockenson surprised most scouts who came in to review him with his ability to be very smooth and athletic for a big man. He shows quickness in and out of his breaks and superb body control to break down and make the quick cuts. He displays the balance and footwork to cut sharply and no longer drifts or rounds his cuts going deep. He has very good flexibility to drop his weight to get out of his breaks cleanly and with his proper pad level, he has no problems attempting to leverage and weave. He is crisp to stick his foot in the ground, cut sharply and gain separation, a rare trait for a player with his big body. Most players his size are more deliberate and mechanical, but Hockenson is one that is perfectly labeled as an athlete who is sudden and smooth working through his patterns.
Separation Ability...Hockenson has valid speed to separate, getting open quickly, thanks to his burst. One of the first things you notice on game films is his ability to make the sharp cut and execute an explosive burst in-&-out of his breaks. He is savvy enough to know when to slow to settle or burst to find holes in the zone. He has good stick-to-fake moves and with his head fakes, he knows how to turn the corners and safeties covering him, along with showing strength when executing collision or bounce moves to run through arm tackles. He is very alert to pocket pressure, knowing how and when to work back to the quarterback. He also has the balance to adjust on the move and uncover. He also uses his body well, delivering forceful hand punches to push off and create separation from the defender.
Leaping Ability...Hockenson uses his size well to shield away defenders and despite his bulk, looks fluid extending for the pass at its highest point. He has excellent leaping ability, and in the second half of the 2018 schedule, he showed marked improvement with his timing when leaving his feet to catch the ball at its high point. He knows how to use his body to secure the ball and has good arm extension to go up and over the defender. His vertical leap is certainly impressive (37 1/2-inches), but it is his timing that brings him most of his success competing for the ball in flight.
Hockenson is so athletic, he can make smooth body adjustments to the ball seem routine. He is very adept at turning and adjusting to the off-target tosses. His outstanding flexibility is evident when he works back for the pass, along with displaying above average body control. With his body control, he makes smooth adjustments on the move and is quite adept at keeping his feet in bounds when working along the sidelines and boundaries.
Hands...Hockenson looks very comfortable making the catch. He has large, soft hands with excellent ability to pluck and snatch, even in tight quarters. Once he extends and brings the ball in, he knows how to properly secure it before turning up field. He is a natural hands catcher with soft “mitts” and good arm extension, along with long fingers. While most coaches preach to receivers about the importance of developing good hands, he is the type that you can see has Travis Kelce-like qualities – he knows how to look the ball in (catches with his eyes). He is fluid extending and catching outside his frame and has a wide radius to pluck and stab at the pigskin.
Run After the Catch...Hockenson does a nice job getting up field after the catch. He has very good foot speed for his position, but it is his running strength to break tackles after initial contact that makes him excel in this area. He turns up field quickly and is very combative fighting for yardage. He is simply too big and strong for secondary defenders to bring down one-on-one. Even second level defenders have to gang-tackle him, making it difficult for those opponents to hit him and wrap, thanks to his leg drive through side tackles and weave to elude. After the catch, he runs at the proper pad level and is a “runaway train” once he gets a head of steam heading up field.
Blocking Ability... Hockenson is a wall off type who gives good effort. When blocking in-line, he shows a very good surge off the snap to make contact. He generates forceful pop and proper hand extension to sustain, never letting his hands get outside his framework. When blocking down field, he has the ability to climb into the second level and make the cut-off block to neutralize the linebackers. He is also very alert, doing an excellent job of hitting moving targets.
As an inline blocker, he shows aggression in attempts to uproot and stalemate defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. Down field, he has very good ability to reach and shield vs. second level defenders, as he demonstrates outstanding balance to sustain. On the move, he is capable of adjusting and making contact, as it is rare to see him leave his feet behind. You can see on film that he has aggression when working down field, as he can fire, fit up and finish, doing a nice job of chipping to land and sustain. With his balance and low pad level, I feel he can be equally effective on the move or serving as a lead blocker from the H-Back position.
Compares To...Travis Kelce-Kansas City Chiefs...I see more Mark Bavaro in him, but most readers were born after the Giants great retired. Hockenson has a sharp change of direction and shows excellent hip swerve while combating for the ball over the middle. He gets a good push off the defender to escape the jam and stays low, extends his arms and keeps his feet shuffling when providing pass protection.
He is very effective in finding the soft spot in the zone, but also uses his body properly to shield the ball from the defender in man coverage. He has natural hands, keeping then properly extended away from the body going up for the ball, along with explosive quickness to outrun a linebacker after the catch. You can see on film that he is very good at adjusting to the low passes and is not afraid to sacrifice his body to get to those balls.
FANT EXPECTED TO JOIN HOCKENSON IN MAKING TIGHT END DRAFT HISTORY
Noah Fant-#87
University of Iowa Hawkeyes
6:04.1-249
Agility Tests...4.50 in the 40-yard dash…1.55 10-yard dash…2.61 20-yard dash…4.22 20-yard shuttle…11.49 60-yard shuttle…6.81 three-cone drill…39 1/2-inch vertical jump…10'-07" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times…33 1/2-inch arm length…9 3/4-inch hands…80-inch wingspan.
Background...Once regarded as the best tight end in this draft class, Fant soon lost that spot to his teammate, T.J. Hockenson. Still, most scouts anticipate that this two will make draft history by becoming the first tight ends from the same school to be drafted in the first round of the same draft.
Fant was an all-around athlete at Omaha South High School, where he competed in track (sprints, high jump, triple jump) and basketball. Much like Hockenson, he made his football reputation for his pass catching skills. Playing tight end and defensive end, the two-time team captain set the school records for receptions in a season (46 in 2015) and career (78), and touchdowns in a season (ten in 2015) and career (18).
As a junior, Fant tallied 494 yards with eight touchdowns on 46 grabs, adding 54 yards and a pair of scores on six carries. Defensively, he posted ten of his 28 tackles behind the line of scrimmage that included 1.5 sacks. As a senior in 2015, he made 46 catches for 570 yards (12.4 ypc) and ten touch-downs. He recorded twenty tackles with 3.5 sacks, earning all-state and all-metro honors. He was also named all-metro tight end MVP and to the Super Six squad during his final campaign.
As a true freshman, Fant had nine receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown in 2016. The coaches got him more involved during the 2017 schedule, as he moved into the starting lineup and earned All-Big Ten Conference third-team honors. He pulled in 30-of-55 passes targeted to him, gaining 459 yards, including 179 after the catch. He scored eleven times, including seven times on deep tosses, but his blocking greatly suffered, posting consistency marks of 58.4% as a pass blocker and 52.8% as a run blocker.
In 2018, Fant received first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors from the league's coaches and second-team from the media. The third-team All-American pick by the Associated Press was one of eight semifinalists for the John Mackey Award. He was named John Mackey Award Co-Player of the Week (with Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson) for his play at Indiana.
The junior appeared in each regular season game, but after catching just one pass in two of his final three appearances, he decided to not play during the bowl season and then declared he was leaving school to enter the NFL Draft. He caught 39-of-60 passes targeted to him, good for 519 yards, generating 266 yards after the catch, scoring four times.
As a Hawkeye, Fant's nineteen career touchdown receptions are most ever by an Iowa tight end and ranks fourth in school history. That figure also ranks third best among Big Ten tight ends all-time. He ranks 37th in career receiving yards (78-1,083) and posted four career games with multiple touchdowns. In 2017, he led the nation’s tight ends with 16.5 yards per catch average, and his eleven touchdown that year established an Iowa tight end record.
Fant was targeted 131 times during his career, catching 59.44% of those tosses (78). He gained 476-of-1,083 yards after the catch (43.95%), but has dropped thirteen balls (9.92% of targets0.
The Scouting Report
Athletic Ability...Fant has very good quickness for a permanent move to tight end, tossing in good strength to play well at either position the traditional spot or in motion. He can add more bulk with no loss of his impressive quickness. He has very good overall muscle definition, with the arm length and long limbs that allow him to generate impressive acceleration for a long strider. He has tight skin and waist, good bubble and good lower body tone, especially in his calves and ankles.
For the tight end position, Fant is a very fast athlete with quick feet and excellent explosion. He has loose hips, but seems to be more straight-lined in his routes due to adequate change of direction agility that causes him to false step when cutting on the move, at times. He has outstanding leaping ability and good body control to adjust to the ball in flight. When he times his leaps, he is capable of making acrobatic highlight reel-type of receptions (see Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska games).
Fant has worked hard each year to improve his overall athletic ability, increase his strength and bulk and learn the little nuances of his position. He still freelances more than he should, but the thing that concerns me most is his inconsistency as a blocker. He has the strength to at least put forth a decent job there, but you just don’t see much of an effort when asked to block at the line of scrimmage. This, more than anything, could be a reason a team looking for a complete tight end might pass on him in the draft. Teams looking for a big receiver to stretch the field, might benefit most from his athletic talent, but must realize there is a lot of work left before he can become a true football player.
Release...Fant can easily surprise a lethargic defender with his explosive burst off the line of scrimmage. He has the smooth hip sink to gain separation and knows how to throttle down or generate that impressive second gear. He must keep his hands active to prevent defenders from getting into his jersey, as he has the strength to do so, when he keeps his focus. He relies more on his athleticism than savvy moves, but even with his excellent acceleration, he will need to become more polished with his ability to create lanes off the ball than trying to get by with his athletically natural gifts. He shows good balance trying to escape and has improved his body control to get in and out of his cuts and separate on his routes better in 2018 than in his first two seasons (see Wyoming, North Texas, Ohio State games).
Acceleration/Quickness... Fant does a nice job of finding the open area to sit down, but must become more alert to when he should be coming back to the ball. He can make the tough catch in tight areas and elude the smaller defenders heading up field. He is a big, physical receiver with that rare acceleration for a player his size and is tough sacrificing his body when going over the middle. On long routes, he gets by more on his speed than technique, leaving him exposed going down the sidelines. He can finish when out in front and does a nice job of putting on the after burners to run under the throws without breaking stride.
Fant can simply out-run any tight end in college and most in the NFL. He has the quickness in his get-off to get into his routes in an instant and also shows good burst out of his cuts. He is a sudden athlete with the ability to accelerate into his routes and reach his top speed level. He is a long strider with the outstanding burst off the line to close the cushion and climb the defender.
Route Running...Fant uses his speed to get into his patterns and does a nice job of sinking his hips, showing the acceleration to leave defenders in their tracks after the catch. He is used mostly on outs, ups and shallow crosses, but also has the ability to find empty areas vs. the zone, but must stop trying to freelance so much. He shows the body control in and out of his breaks and valid speed to stretch the field. With his suddenness, he has the ability to push the defenders out of their backpedal and come downhill for separation
Separation Ability... Fant has the ability to jab one direction and then break off his route squarely, especially when finding holes in the zone. He uses his frame and speed to elude or power through arm tackles. When he sticks his foot in the ground, he generates a good speed turn to escape. With his outstanding speed, he is better off lined out wide, where he has little traffic in his way when running vertical patterns, as few tight ends or receivers have the second gear he displays to detach deep.
His ball concentration skills is an area that needs the label, “work in progress.” Like most elite and young receivers, he does not always maintain focus on the field and that leads to missed opportunities to get to catch-able throws (thirteen drops of 131 targets). He is a tough player who shows no hesitation catching in a crowd and with his size and wing span, he is an inviting target who can also make the catch with defenders hanging on him, though.
Leaping Ability...Fant might not always show great timing, but he can high point the pass with the best of them, thanks to his wing span and elevation skills. He shows no flinch going up for the ball in a crowd and when he does not get into a rhythm of jumping too early, he will win most jump ball battles. He has the body torque to get to most off-target throws, but must be more alert to boundaries. He is able to adjust and react to the ball outside the body’s framework, but has to improve getting his feet down along the sidelines. He is smooth and fluid catching passes over his outside shoulder and has the body control and flexibility to make acrobatic catches.
Hands...Fant has large, soft hands and excels at plucking and reaching the ball outside his framework, but he is prone to concentration lapses. He has the size to shield the ball and good urgency protecting it from the defender. He has perhaps the best hands on the team, with most of his drops coming from poor focus or just plain mental lapses. He can adjust smoothly to throws over his outside shoulder, but when he body catches, he leaves more than a fair share of balls on the ground.
Run After the Catch...Fant can get to top speed in an instant after he secures the ball after the catch, but that is also a problem, as he does have concentration lapses that leave the ball on the ground (13-of-131 passes thrown to him he failed to secure). You can see on film his ability to turn it up hard after the catch. He is not your typical one-cut runner, like most tight ends on deep routes, as he is faster and shiftier with outstanding speed and good hip wiggle.
Blocking Ability... This is perhaps Fant’s worst area. It is not as if he does not have the strength to sustain his blocks, but he prefers executing them on the move rather than facing up at the line. He shows good aggression cut blocking in the second level, but when it comes to helping out the ground game, especially from the backside, the only way you will find him is on the side of a milk carton (disappears and lacks effort). He must work on his stance, as he will lunge often, falling off blocks when operating in-line and needs to shoot his powerful hands more often.
Compares To...Jared Cook-New Orleans Saints...Both players are built for speed and driving through tackles, but have limited skills as blockers. Fant might not be a great fit for a team looking for a traditional tight end, as he might be better served in motion. He is bigger than Cook and just as quick, but won’t match up strength-wise, but he is getting close. The problem I see is that he likes to free-lance a lot and is too inconsistent as a blocker. As for production, it has been decent, leading me to feel he will be drafted much higher based on his athleticism than his final numbers on the field.
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A RISING STAR, KNOX IS YOUR MAN
Dawson Alan Knox-#9
University of Mississippi Rebels
6:04.3-254
Agility Tests...4.51 in the 40-yard dash…1.57 10-yard dash…2.61 20-yard dash…4.27 20-yard shuttle…6.98 three-cone drill…34 1/2-inch vertical jump…10'-02" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 16 times…33 1/2-inch arm length…9 3/4-inch hands…80 1/2-inch wingspan.
Background...When you perform for a team with receivers like D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and Elijah Moore, chances are, if you are a tight end, passes heading your way are few and in between. Knox decided his contribution were to be ready when those limited tosses head his way and always look for a defender to stalk, even if it is a thankless task when it comes to blocking.
Still, scouts love his size, speed potential, but might want him to reside in the training room for seasoning, as his strength issues are still a work in progress. The Managerial Finance major is a "smart cookie" though, as he's made the Chancellor's Honor Roll for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016; and Dean's Honor Roll for Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. He has also received Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll recognition in 2016 and 2017.
The Tennessee native attended Brentwood Academy, where he competed as a quarterback and wide receiver. As a junior, he was catching passes, rather than throwing them. His senior season was cut short, as he suffered an ankle injury during the team's season opener. Manning the quarterback position after he grew four inches and gained over fifty pounds since his junior year, he had hit on 9-of-17 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 40 yards and had an 18-yard catch in that first half.
Knox was not limited to the football field, as he lettered three times in track & field, where he helped his 4x200m relay to a state runner-up. He was also his high school's dunk contest champion. He then enrolled at Mississippi, along with prep teammates Bryce Mathews, Jack Propst and Isaac Way.
Knox was actually his own recruiter in his quest to play for Ole Miss. After he was injured, the high school quarterback made a few phone calls and took several visits to Matt Luke’s office. Both player and coach followed the same unlikely trajectory in their college careers, from walk-on to starter.
Knox stepped onto campus three years ago a tall, gangly teenager. His 2014 highlight video on Hudl lists him as 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. In grainy game footage he scampers across the screen, all arms and legs. He hasn’t really learned how to cut yet, more stutter steps around missed tackles and shakes off poor hits. He was supposed to be Brentwood Academy’s starting quarterback that season, but halfway into his first game he suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He received a few offers, but none to SEC schools. He said he knew he could play at a higher level - and it turned out he was right.
“If worse comes to worse, I felt like I could always transfer down to a smaller, maybe Division II school,” Knox recalled. “But I wouldn’t trade my experience here for anything because it’s been pretty awesome.” He barely factored into the Rebels’ plan his red-shirt freshman year in 2016. He played in six games, all on special teams, and after Chad Kelly’s season-ending injury, then-head coach Hugh Freeze said Knox might take reps at quarterback in practice. But by the next season, Knox was the favorite to start at tight end.
He was still 6-foot-4 but no longer lanky. In retrospect, his growth may have been predictable. Between his junior and senior years of high school, Knox shot up at least four inches. In tandem with that growth spurt, he moved from receiver to quarterback. Ole Miss had signed three four-star tight end prospects in its 2016 recruiting class, with the end of Evan Engram’s reign on the horizon. But somehow it was Knox, the former walk-on quarterback, who succeeded Engram.
“It really made me work even harder I feel like,” Knox said, “just going to work and practice every day with the mentality that I’ve got to earn my stripes and prove that I’m supposed to be here. So I think it really has given me an edge that I wouldn’t have had if I had a scholarship right off the bat.”
Luke noticed Knox’s determination too. It was a quality he remembers drawing on as a walk-on two decades ago. By the end of Luke's college playing career, he had earned the title of captain.
As far as eligible receivers went, the NWO (“Nasty Wide Outs”) received the lion's share of the notoriety during the 2017-18 seasons, but Knox put up respectable numbers. Even while battling through a foot injury that saw him sidelined throughout 2017 preseason camps, he caught 24-of-34 passes targeted to him for 321 yards in ten games. That ranked him second in his position in receiving yards during Southeastern Conference play. 152 of those yards came after the catch and the neophyte tight end dropped three balls during campaign.
In 2018, Knox was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. The 2018 John Mackey Award Watch List member started eleven of the twelve games he appeared in. He managed to catch 15-of-28 passes targeted to him, good for 284 yards via 594 snaps, but again, he never reached the end zone. He would close out his career by participating in 1,095 snaps. On 62 targets, he caught 39 (62.9%). He gained 280 of his 605 yards (46.28%) after the catch and dropped just four balls in three seasons.
Luke highlighted the advantages of having a tight end like Knox, who “can stretch the field vertically but also block in the box. “If you go four wide to throw it and then bring in a tight end to run it, people know what you’re going to do. But if you can have a guy like an Evan Engram or like a Dawson Knox, I think you’re harder to prepare for. I think the defense doesn’t know what’s coming.”
The Scouting Report
Athletic Ability...Knox has that strong, well-developed upper body frame that allows him to quickly gain advantage as a blocker. He has big hands (9 3/4-inches) and shows the flexibility (4.27 short shuttle), along with the long arms (80 1/2-inch wingspan) to get to balls outside his frame. He has room to add some more bulk, but a massive overload will impact one of his best assets – quickness. He has a firm midsection, good bubble and developed muscle tone in his thighs and calves. He maintains low body fat and has a V-shaped torso with good overall muscle tone.
Knox is a much better athlete than his receiving production indicates, as he is just as happy at throwing a crunching second level block as he is coming up with the big grab. He runs with a normal stride and has more the acceleration to easily get behind second level defenders and most safeties. He shows agility, balance, body control and hand/eye coordination looking the ball in over his outside shoulder, along with the quickness to get down field and separate underneath. He shows very good flexibility as an in-line blocker, doing a nice job of making adjustments to mirror edge rushers. While he was not featured in the passing game, he displays good hands and solid extension skills to reach and pluck the ball at its high point.
Release...Knox uses his quickness and long arms to make sure a physical defender cannot lock on in attempts to jam and reroute him. He has a quick initial burst to surprise a second level defender and will win most foot races vs. linebackers and safeties. He shows good urgency in his release off the line and rarely will you see him takes false steps. Even vs. some cornerback, he has enough ability to get up field and the quickness to elude. In looking at 2018 tape, you can see that he continues to improve in his ability to power through the jam, along with the quickness needed to create space and get out in the flats.
Acceleration/Quickness...Knox is a nice target for the quarterback, thanks to his balance and body control working through a crowd to find soft spots to settle under. He shows good awareness to uncover and make plays in front of linebackers, then, using his leg drive and forward body lean to pick up extra yardage after the catch (hates it when one tackler is able to stop him). While he might lack great pass catching numbers, he has that receiver-like change of direction agility to escape good man coverage. He might not be used on deep patterns, but he is aware of coverage and knowing where to find the soft areas.
Knox shows very good “get off” running his routes, even when aligned near the line of scrimmage. The thing that he does best is generating the lateral range to escape and get up field. In this day and age in the NFL, teams are looking for players like him to stretch the field, as he can flash to gain advantage and battles with very good intensity to escape the jam.
Route Running...This is still a learning experience for Knox, but he appears to be a good student. Even though Ole Miss did not do it much with their tight end, Knox can been used in a variety of roles as a pass catcher, whether lining up in the backfield, positioning outside or coming off the snap in a traditional stance. His routes are crisp, as he shows the athletic ability and quickness to sink his hips and separate. He has the power to avoid being rerouted and does a nice job of using his hands to leverage defenders and separate with his array of moves.
He is best served in the zone, where his quickness lets him take advantage of slower second level opponents, but he can also cause problems for cornerbacks on the rare times he runs deep patterns. With his smooth running stride and change of direction skills, he has that flash ability to set defenders when working up the seam. He runs a lot of delays and drags, which does not give him much opportunity to challenge in man coverage, but he has that fine ability to know where he needs to be in order to create spacing.
Separation Ability... Few second level defenders and strong safeties can mirror Knox once he is allowed to get into deep patterns. The problem is, outside of practices, Ole Miss rarely used him in that role. He shows very good quickness at his position (4.51 40-yard dash), using it to separate out of his cuts. He is alert to coverage and sinks his pads properly when settling in the zone’s soft spots. He might be a “hidden find” if he can get with a team that will allow him to use his quickness to separate down field, as he shows in limited opportunities that he can create space needed to make the big play.
If this kid is ever affected going for the ball in traffic, I have yet to see it on game films. He loves combating for the ball in a crowd and more often than not, you will see on tape that he makes the catch with defenders hanging on to him. He shows no fear operating over the middle and does not hesitate to get combative with his hands when an opponent tries to physically bump him.
Leaping Ability... Knox looks like a contortionist, at times, when he leaves his feet to twist and turn in order to get to off-target throws. He does a nice job of maintaining balance and body control on the move, along with being very conscious of keeping his feet in bounds working down the sidelines. He plays with effortless body control to reach and pluck the ball away from his frame.
He is a former dunk champion and prep track star with the “hops” to elevate and extend in order to get to the ball at its high point (see Kent State, Arkansas games). He will not leave the ground too early, but when he does, he has the skills to take the second leap to get back in on the play. With his 33 1/2-inch arm length and 34 1/2-inch vertical jump, he should win more than his share of jump-ball opportunities at the next level.
Hands...Knox has soft hands and is not the type that uses his body as a crutch, as most of his drops (four) were the result of trying to turn up field before securing the ball. I really like the way he will extend to catch the ball outside his frame. He appears to know how to keep the ball off his body to make the catch and with those long arms, he certainly has the catching radius to reach and pluck the ball with ease.
Run After the Catch... Knox is a very good open field runner, with the loose hips and nifty spin moves to avoid second level defenders after the catch. He stays low in his pads with good forward body lean to get additional yardage after initial contact. He is used mostly in possession situations, which is unfortunate, as you can see he has more than enough quickness to stretch the field. He might not make too many cornerbacks miss when tackling him, but he will make those smaller defenders pay for their attempts to bring him down one-on-one.
Blocking Ability...Knox is like having an offensive lineman with speed, for his ability to locate and block vs. second level defenders. He keeps his head on a swivel looking for targets to attack and has a good angle concept for attacking the opponent when on the move.
Knox is a vastly underrated blocker. In the second level, he seems to play with a “search and destroy” mentality. He shows good hand placement and a strong punch, along with the alertness to keep his hands inside his frame. Even when blocking in-line, he is not the type that will overextend and leave his feet behind. Earlier in his career, when he tried to reach, he would lose position late in the process. But now, he shows good explosion on contact, thanks to 30 additional pounds of muscle from the training room.
He plays with good intensity as a blocker and even level one defenders have a hard time in attempts to wall-off or drive him back into the pocket. In pass protection, he knows how to maintain balance and shuffle his feet quickly in order to slide and mirror. For a 255-pounder, you have to be impressed with his strong anchor, along with the pop he generates behind his hand punch that will generally stop second level defenders in an instant.
Compares To...Zach Ertz-Philadelphia Eagles...Knox is much quicker than Ertz, but both have made a nice living by their ability to locate and settle into the soft zone areas. Ertz has more power when breaking initial tackles, but both show the forward body lean and leg drive to make it tough for third level defenders to take them down in one-on-one situations. I see Knox being used more in motion and in a system that requires their tight ends to work underneath, he could be a nice fit.
JUNIOR HOPES TO CARRY ON THE FAMILY BUSINESS
Irvin "Irv" Martin Smith, Jr.-#82
University of Alabama Crimson Tide
6:02.3-242
Agility Tests...2.63 in the 40-yard dash…1.60 10-yard dash…2.74 20-yard dash…4.33 20-yard shuttle…12.44 60-yard shuttle…7.32 three-cone drill…32 1/2-inch vertical jump…9'-02" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times…31 1/2-inch arm length…9 1/2-inch hands…74 7/8-inch wingspan.
Background...Playing tight end seems like a birthright for Junior, who hopes that he's impressed one team to allow him to join his father as first round draft selections. Irv Sr. starred at Notre Dame and later played seven seasons in the NFL after he was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 20th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft.
Senior's older brother, Ed, was also an NFL tight end, playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions from 1997–1999. Prior to that, Smith played baseball in the minor league systems of the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians. Both brothers are currently co-hosting a sports-radio show "EZ Sports Talk" in Phoenix, Arizona.
Irv Smith Jr. attended Brother Martin High School, where he was named to the Prepstar All-South-east region. The All-USA Louisiana selection added Class 5A All-State honorable mention from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and was rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN.com. That service regarded him as the sixth-best tight end/H-back prospect nationally, while Rivals.com ranked him 15th at the position. He closed out his career by 31 passes as a senior for 558 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. He then went on to participate in the LHSCA/LFCA East vs. West All-Star Game before choosing to attend the University of Alabama over Texas and Texas A&M.
With O.J. Howard firmly entrenched in the Crimson Tide lineup, Smith, who enrolled at the school in 2016, got on the field for a total of ten snaps that year and was never targeted by Alabama passers. With Howard playing for Tampa Bay, Smith started four times through fourteen appearances in 2017. He caught 14-of-17 passes thrown to him on 430 snaps, gaining 128 yards and scoring three times. He dropped one of those incompletions, but gained 46 yards after the catch. He was selected as one of the UA coaching staff's offensive players of the week for his play against LSU, as he recorded the game's first score, finding a hole in the zone and securing the pass from four yards out to put the Tide on the board first.
Smith became a viable mid-range target in 2018. He appeared in 566 snaps, snaring 44-of-57 passes thrown his way for 707 yards, including 360 after the catch. He dropped three balls, but reached the end zone eight times, setting the Alabama single-season touchdown receptions mark by a tight end. He earned second team All-American accolades from the AFCA and was selected to the All-Southeastern Conference second team by the conference coaches. His 44 catches placed fourth on the team and 28 of his grabs went for a first down or a touchdown with 11 totaling 20-plus yards.
Smith closed out his career by catching 58-of-74 targeted passes (78.38%) for 835 yards and eleven touchdowns, gaining 406 of those yards (48.62%) after the catch. He dropped four tosses while appearing in 1,006 snaps. He graded 66.1% for run blocking and 66.65% as a pass blocker.
The Scouting Report
Athletic Ability... Smith is built more like a motion-type H-Back than as a traditional tight end, but he has a well-developed frame that can carry more bulk without it impacting his impressive quickness. He has adequate arm length, but is a natural hands catcher with good-sized “mitts.” He shows good chest and shoulder muscle structure with a firm, defined midsection, good bubble, strong hips and tapered thighs and calves.
Smith has a good second gear, yet is not explosive. He builds his acceleration nicely and with his loose hips, he can generate elusive moves to escape the initial tackler. He is stronger than his frame looks, but will have to continue his power development in the weight room before entering the NFL. He shows valid and body control, along with ease-of-movement making the sideline grabs (more conscious of boundaries). The thing you see on film is his ability to adjust and contort his body to get to the off-target throws. He shows the ability to build acceleration nicely throughout the route’s progression and while not overpowering as an in-line blocker, he has enough strength to face up to second level defenders and a strong punch to invert edge rushers in pass protection. He plays with good urgency and has the second gear needed to elude in the open.
Release...Smith is not really sudden in his release off the line, but he builds acceleration nicely to get behind a second level defender. His size poses issues for cornerbacks when lined wide and he has the quickness to gobble up the cushion and come out of his breaks cleanly. He might not be the strongest tight end around, but he shows good hand placement and a surprising punch, along with a pretty nifty swim move to get a clean release attempting to get into his route. When linebackers try to push him off the route, he has the loose hips to sidestep and avoid contact on the move. With his smooth release, he gets into his running stride quickly and is savvy enough to know when he has to swim over or fight through the jam.
Acceleration/Quickness...Smith might not be as explosive when multiple blockers try to attack him off the line, but he covers ground quickly and is much like a wide receiver with his ability to stretch and threaten the deep seam. On short patterns, he has that natural feel for knowing when to adjust to uncover and shows very quick ball reaction skills looking the pass in over his shoulder without having to break stride. He has the vision to watch the ball into his hands. Especially vs. Cover-2 defenses, he has the ability to get down the seam and make things happen in the open field. He flashes fluid moves and the burst to separate and adjust to the ball in flight and is more than capable of making the initial tackler miss with his array of moves.
Route Running...Smith has really worked hard at refining and sharpening his cuts out of his breaks. He no longer takes extra steps and shows very good awareness to coverage, as he can consistently get open vs. second level man coverage. He is alert to schemes and does a nice job of finding holes and soft areas when challenging the zone. I really like his body control and timing, as he has that crisp plant-&-drive agility to make the initial tackler miss. He has developed good sticks-&-boundaries awareness and has worked hard to improve his footwork to remain in bounds hugging the sidelines. He is a very disciplined route runner (no drift or false steps in his route progression), doing a text-book job of finding his marks, breaking and getting his head turned around on time.
Separation Ability...Smith won’t try to go one-on-one vs. the press coverage, but has the slippery moves to escape and get a quick outside release. He runs with good forward body lean and his ability to fluidly apply his weight transfer allows him to instantly snap off his breaks and separate, especially when utilized on flag and drag routes. He has the ability to uncover with awareness and the thing you see on film is his ability to make sharp cuts underneath or accelerate to get open immediately on deep routes. He also uses his body very well to shield defenders from the ball.
Leaping Ability...This is an area that might need some work on. Smith has the natural leaping skills to high- point the pass, but of the thirteen incomplete passes targeted to him, he dropped three and lost eight jump ball battles to the opposition, lending one to think that he might need some timing refinement. He is not really a super-quick leaper (32 1/2-inch vertical jump), but when he has time to plant and jump, he can extend and reach for the ball away from his frame.
Hands...Smith is a natural hands catcher with good-sized “mitts” (9 ½-inches). He displays the smoothness to pluck the ball away from his frame and makes a concentrated effort to catch the ball with his hands, rather than let it absorb into his body. He shows good touch and flashes the ability to snatch the pass, even with defenders draped on him. He secures the ball on contact and it is very rare to see him “bread basket” (leave it exposed), as he makes a conscious effort to keep it away from the defender (good ball distribution).
Run After the Catch...Smith is the type that prefers to “Jim Brown” and simply run over defenders after the catch, especially level-one and level-two types. However, he will show good leg drive and forward body lean to pick up extra yards when securing the ball in a crowd. He has the strength to run through arm tackles and take on safeties and cornerbacks, but without the ideal tight end’s bulk, he might have to rely more on his escape skills to avoid linebackers on the move. He will do anything he can to advance the ball. He has the straight-line speed to make the big play and good run vision to elude.
Blocking Ability...Smith lacks the “sand in his pants” to be a stunning in-line blocker, but he will not hesitate to face up to the bigger defensive linemen. He might have size limitations, but also shows true courage and will never shy away from contact. He is on the edge rusher quickly and follows up with good hand placement and a pretty decent punch. He keeps his feet active in attempts to leverage (rare to see him be inverted) and he works hard to sustain. He might be better as a position-type blocker, but with his balance, it is not often that a defender can knock him back in attempts to get inside penetration. When he stays low in his pads and keeps his hands inside his frame, he will use his mitts efficiently to control the defender and get movement (good, not great).
Compares To...Ben Watson-ex-New Orleans Saints...Smith's routes are crisp and defined, as his body control and quickness allows him to easily uncover and separate after the catch. He will not hesitate to compete for the ball going over the middle and has the strength and physical nature to try to gain extra yardage after the catch. He will sometimes try to run through a defender rather than elude, but is generally very efficient at reading coverage in order to quickly separate.
STERNBERGER HOPES ALL OF HIS COLLEGE PITSTOPS LEADS TO A HOME IN THE NFL
Jace Evan Sternberger-#81
Texas A&M Aggies
6:04.0-251
Agility Tests...4.75 in the 40-yard dash…1.67 10-yard dash…2.82 20-yard dash…4.31 20-yard shuttle…12.09 60-yard shuttle…7.19 three-cone drill…31 1/2-inch vertical jump…9'-05" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times…32 1/8-inch arm length…9 3/4-inch hands…77 1/4-inch wingspan.
Background...This well-traveled athlete's college career looks like a version of Supertramp's Breakfast in America, as he certainly took the long way home. It all began for the Oklahoma native as a youngster in the town of Kingfisher, where he attended the lone high school. He went on to earn a total of ten letters in football, basketball and track, yet was only accorded a two-star recruit rating after his senior year.
Playing both sides of the ball his last two seasons, Sternberger helped his team to a state title in 2013 after recording nine catches for 191 yards and four touchdowns on offense, while also securing 39 tackles, 6.5 sacks, five pass breakups and four forced fumbles on defense. He completed his senior season in 2014 playing on both sides of the ball again, catching 42 passes for 390 yards and eight touchdowns at tight end, and as a defensive end, he garnered 53 tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss, 21 sacks, three forced fumbles and six pass breakups.
Sternberger chose Kansas over offers from New Mexico, Sam Houston State, South Dakota and Tulsa in 2015, but was relegated to scout team chores, retaining freshman eligibility. In 2016, he logged just 49 snaps through ten games, as he caught the lone pass targeted to him for five yards. He added a pair of solo tackles on special teams.
Seeing no hope for extended playing time, Sternberger enrolled close to home and attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 2017. He continued to perform on special teams, posting four tackles, but was also allowed to spread his wings as a pass catcher. Despite playing for a run-oriented squad, he caught 21-of-27 passes for 336 yards 16.0 ypc), reaching the end zone six times.
He had a pair of touchdown catches vs. Coffeyville, one more on three grabs for 69 yards vs. Cisco College and closed out his career with four receptions for 73 yards vs. Independence.
Sternberger's luggage was again traveling, as he then enrolled at Texas A&M for the 2018 season. Suddenly, the player struggling to find a home was being watched regularly by NFL scouts. It would be a great debut for the new Aggie, as he was chosen John Mackey Award National Tight End of the Week after he scored twice on five catches in the season opener vs. Northwestern State (La.).
Sternberger was named a consensus All-American after earning first team All-America honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Walter Camp, and second-team accolades from The NFL Draft Report and USA Today. The first-team All-Southeastern pick was a John Mackey Award and Early Campbell Tyler Rose Award semifinalist.
He started all thirteen games for the Aggie, as Sternberger caught 49-of-81 targeted passes for 836 yards, tacking on 408 yards (48.8%) after the catch. He scored ten times, including a 53-yarder among seven grabs for 145 yards vs. South Carolina. He added two more scores and 85 yards on four snatches vs. UAB and the next week, he torced the heralded LSU defense for two touchdowns on five receptions. Blocking was not his "strong" suit, as he graded only 56.8% for the ground game and 65.5% on pass plays.
The Scouting Report
Athletic Ability...Sternberger frame is still developing, as it appears lean with those long arms. With adequate strength and his size and quickness, he seems more suited to play the H-Back position. He has a tall build with a firm mid-section and decent thickness in his thighs and calves, but he needs to improve his overall strength. Right now, he has more of a linear build with an athletic physique, but must improve his adequate overall power base.
Release...The Aggies offense called for him to flex more often than be aligned in the traditional tight end role. He seems to have better success lining up wide or in motion than with his hand on the ground. When he has to come off the line from a three-point stance, he does struggle to get disengaged from second level defenders. He is just the type of player that needs a clean release to get into gear, as he will be stymied by a physical jam. When he lines up wide, he uses his burst to get a smooth and fluid release. He has decent burst speed off the ball, but you would like to see better usage of his hands to avoid the jam and get into his routes. He has to improve his change of direction agility, but does have a nice swim move to compensate.
Acceleration/Quickness...Sternberger is capable of stretching the coverage when he lines up wide, but must be more physical in attempts to gain separation when he lines up with a linebacker or defensive end over his head. On short routes, he displays the ability to get open and adjust to the ball in flight, as he is crisp running drag or stop routes when working underneath. You can see his burst when he finds the space working in the zone. He is just much more effective when uncovering and separating than when working in a crowd, as he is capable of sitting down and coming back for the ball. He has the burst needed to stretch the field, getting into his route easily. His reach and arm extension allow him to get to the off-target tosses.
Sternberger might not do a good job of reaching a shaded defensive end, but when he is uncontested, he can get off the snap and right into his patterns. He has valid foot quickness to consistently find ways to get to his assignments, unless a defender starts pressing him. He moves easily in straight-line routes, but must get more precise in and out of his cuts (must improve change of direction skills).
Route Running...Sternberger has shown marked improvement dropping his pad level and opening his hips to generate better thrust in the route progression. Most routes run at TAMU did not require much change of direction, but he appears capable of running away from second level defenders, as he has some good moves and hip shake to set up the second level opponent and pulling away for short distances. He runs those short area routes well, doing a good job of finding the seam in a zone defense. He can improve his pattern sharpness a bit, as he tends to take some soft angle cuts, but his speed allows him to gain separation.
Separation Ability...Sternberger seems pretty fluid when he does change direction, but needs to plant his foot firmer to generate hard cuts. His problems occur with his vision, as he does not read coverage well and will run into spots he shouldn’t be in. The more he plays wide, the smoother his movement becomes in his attempts to gain separation. He definitely needs to improve his overall strength, but does a nice job with his hands and leg drive to get a clean release (does struggle in attempts to power through arm tackles, though).
Leaping Ability...Sternberger has no problems adjusting to the ball, especially when it is under-thrown, thanks to his long reach, but he would be even more effective with quicker reactionary ability. He shows hesitation to compete for the pigskin working in traffic and needs to improve his body control to make the quick moves in and out of his cuts, but he is effective at securing the ball outside his body’s framework.
Sternberger is a decent leaper, using his long arms well to get to the ball at its highest point and gets good elevation on his leaps, showing the timing skills to get to the ball, except when working in tight quarters (drops a few when he hears a defender closing on him).
Hands...Sternberger shows soft hands to reach and extend for the ball, but he spends too much time cradling the pigskin than using his natural athleticism. He also needs to do a much better job of generating the hand punch needed to get a quicker release when line-backers attack him at the line of scrimmage. He is capable of making the tough catches when facing the quarterback, but vision issues again come into play, as he is too inconsistent when having to catch the ball over his outside shoulder.
Run After the Catch...Although he has adequate strength, Sternberger needs to improve his leg drive, as he can be taken down by the initial tackle. He’s a fluid runner, but just seems to run into opponents rather than try to elude them. He has good hip snap to sell the route, but for some reason, he sometimes restarts his acceleration once he catches the ball in a crowd. He lacks the power to run through tackles by linebackers, and must show more confidence in his hip snap when attempting to execute moves to elude.
Blocking Ability...Sternberger needs to develop better technique and strength levels. He has adequate functional strength in the weight room, but it does not translate to the field. He does not explode into his blocks when working in-line, nor does he sink his weight to get under a defender’s pads. He tends to keep his hands close to his chest rather than extending to get proper leverage. However, when blocking down field, he utilizes his balance and flexibility to adjust to the linebacker in space to finish his blocks.
Compares To...Tyler Kroft-Buffalo Bills...Sternberger has a quick release out of his stance and can eat up a cushion to the safety quickly. Combining his size and quickness when changing directions, he can become a reliable short and intermediate receiving option for any offense. He has just adequate leaping ability and toughness to factor over the middle, though and needs to add a lot of strength before he can be relied upon as an every down threat, or as an in-line blocker. Still, he is versatile enough to line up anywhere to create match-up problems.
SOME NFL TEAMS FEEL "GOOD VIBRATIONS" ABOUT DRAFTING THIS WILSON
Caleb Brandon Wilson-#81
University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
6:04.2-240
Agility Tests...4.56 in the 40-yard dash…1.55 10-yard dash…2.69 20-yard dash…4.40 20-yard shuttle…12.18 60-yard shuttle…7.20 three-cone drill…29-inch vertical jump…9'05" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times…33-inch arm length…9 3/4-inch hands…79 1/2-inch wingspan.
Background...Wilson is the son of Chris Wilson, a two-time All-American at Oklahoma, who was a 12th round 1992 NFL draft pick for the Chicago Bears. He is currently the defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. Chris was also a member of the USC coaching staff while Caleb was a player, but was fired in the coaching purge after the 2015 season. That firing saw Caleb leave the Trojans program, where he was a walk-on, for a scholarship offer from cross-town rivals, UCLA.
Born in Dallas, the well-traveled youngster played football at several prep schools. At Starkville (Miss.) High School, he earned second-team all-State honors in 2012, as the sophomore quarter-back threw for 1,200 yards and twelve touchdowns in just five appearances. He then went to North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) High for his junior year. A foot injury sidelined him for the football season, but he did letter in basketball at Oconee.
Wilson's next pit stop was at Serra High School in Gardena, California. He lettered in both football and basketball. On the gridiron, he competed at tight end and quarterback. He completed 47-of-82 passes for 610 yards (57.3%) and 610 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in 2014. He also ran for 96 yards on 15 carries (6.4 avg) with a score, caught 18 passes for 310 yards (17.2 avg) with seven touchdowns and averaged 36.5 yards on 32 punts.
Despite scholarship offers, Wilson elected to join his father, walking on at Southern California, where he was red-shirted. He was awarded immediate eligibility after transferring to UCLA and in 2016, he was a reserve tight end, seeing most of his action on special teams for the Bruins. In 189 offensive snaps, he was targeted 21 times, making sixteen catches, including ten in his final three games. He totaled 220 yards - 99 coming after the catch - without any touchdowns, but he did not drop any tosses and graded 73.0% as a pass blocker.
In 2017, Wilson started all five games he appeared in, but in the Colorado contest, a defender rolled over his right foot, ending his season prematurely. Ironically, his father actually suffered the same injury late in his college career at Oklahoma, but there was no effective surgery at the time. A mid-season All-American, he hauled in 38-of-48 balls heading his way, totaling 490 yards on 351 plays. He gained 205 yards after the catch and dropped just two tosses while scoring once. In the come-back win over Texas A&M, he caught a school-record 15 passes for 208 yards. He also hauled in 11 passes for 145 yards in the Stanford clash.
Wilson finally had that breakout season in 2018. He was named second-team All-American by the Sporting News and CBS Sports. The first-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection by the league's coaches and Associated Press, he was the winner of the Ed "Coach K" Kezirian Award for balance of outstanding athletics and academic achievement. HE was also chosen for the Academic All-Pac 12 squad.
Starting every game, Wilson set school season-records for tight ends, as he caught 60-of-95 passes for 965 yards (16.1 ypc), reaching the end zone four times while gaining 467 yards after the catch. Not to be labeled as just an elite pass catcher, he recorded a pass blocking consistency grade of 78.3%.
Wilson finished the regular season leading the nation's FBS tight ends in receptions per game (5.0), receiving yards per game (80.4) and total receiving yards (965) this past season. He ranked tied for 10th among all Pac-12 receivers in receptions per game and was tied for fifth among all league receivers with an 80.4 receiving yards per game average.
The red-shirt junior compiled three 100-yard receiving games for the season (102 yards-Washington, 164-Arizona State, 184-Stanford). His 60 catches tied for 11th-best on the all-time UCLA season list, and his 965 receiving yards rates 11th on that school list. His total of 1,675 career receiving yards rates 19th on that UCLA list, while his 114 career catches is 18th.
Through 1,284 college snaps, he was successful on 69.51% of those targeted passes (114-of-164. He gained 46.03% of his receiving yardage after the catch (771-of-1,675). On December 6th, 2018, Wilson announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Scouting Report
Athletic Ability...Wilson has an adequate-sized frame for the classic tight end position, but he is a well-built athlete with an excellent power base, especially if utilized as a “Y” receiver, H-back or motion receiver coming out of the slot. He has a solid build, cut, with above average overall muscle tone and a frame that can carry additional bulk. He has thick arms, broad chest and thick thighs and calves, along with a tight waist and loose hips.
Wilson possesses good quickness, agility, balance and body control for the H-back and slot receiver position, but lacks the size you look for in a traditional tight end. He is an athletic mover who might not have explosive speed, but does a good job of gobbling up the cushion with his long stride. He has above average change of direction agility, quickness and balance on the move.
He is surprisingly strong for his size (was injured prior to doing the bench press figure listed above). He shows good arm strength for the option pass (was a prep quarterback) and is a dangerous runner with the ball in his hands (gained 771-of-1,675 yards after the catch). He shows good striking form and balance as a second level blocker and superb hand/eye coordination along with natural hands, timing and leaping ability to high point the ball and catch it away from his frame…GRADE-7.3
Release...Wilson lacks explosion off the snap, but he shows a quick thrust off the line to challenge defensive backs and keep pressure on the secondary. He is very smooth and efficient in his release, using his long arms and strength to quickly defeat the press, driving hard with his legs to beat the jam. Wilson plays at a good pad level, showing effective quickness driving off the line. He has enough strength to defeat the press and will move quickly once he gains acceleration. The thing you see on film is the proper pad level he uses, as it gets him off the line cleanly and helps him to avoid under-coverage on the route stem.
Acceleration/Quickness... Wilson won’t suddenly develop a second gear, but on deep routes, he can glide and adjust to catch the throws without breaking stride. He is a nice short area target, especially since he now understands leverage and how to sit in the zone. He is sure-handed and not distracted by traffic pressure. He has the stride needed to get to the ball, showing a smooth burst and crisp body adjustments. Despite a lack of top-end speed, he has the ability to get deep. He is certainly not a burner, but accelerates well. He is not as quick in shorter routes as the smaller receivers, but has the in-stride and adjustment agility to get to the ball on long routes.
Route Running...Wilson is more of a savvy route runner. He is not going to simply fly past and get behind a defender, but he builds his acceleration steadily and shows good wiggle and moves to make the secondary types bite more often than they should on play action. His patterns are precise with no drift vs. man coverage, with good stem, stick and leverage ability. He does a nice job of using swim moves and a stutter-step to shake off the safeties when working in the short area. He is a polished route runner and his short routes are good enough to get the job done. With increased experience, he could do a nice job of running tight up field routes.
Wilson has eyes only for the ball when he locates it in flight, as he will sacrifice his body to get to the pigskin. He runs crisp short-to-intermediate routes and is rarely ever distracted by defenders closing on him. He has outstanding field vision, doing a great job of finding the sideline and adjusting his body to keep his feet in bounds. He is able to run, adjust and jump for the ball in a crowd (especially effective adjusting to the ball over his shoulder, but also excels at the high, low and behind tosses). He shows good focus and concentration on all balls and doesn't drop them very often (three of six drops last year saw the ball first touched by a defender).
Separation Ability... Wilson is more elusive than his timed speed indicates and when he can’t set up a defender with his moves to separate, he has the raw strength to simply power over them. He has the upper body strength and hand usage to prevent defenders from getting into his body. He is not going to explode coming out of his breaks, but with his loose hips and change of direction agility, he will make the initial tackler miss more often than not.
He is creative with his moves and shows that strong stride to run past second level defenders. He has the hip wiggle and strength to drive through arm tackles, finding the crease with his stop-and-go action to take the ball to the house. He sells his moves well to gain separation and shows a decent burst into and out of breaks. He also has enough quickness to come back to the ball
Leaping Ability... Wilson is athletic enough to go up for the ball and catch it at its high point. He does a nice job extending to catch outside his frame and is not surprised by what the defender tries to do to him when he lays out for the pass. His focus is so good vs. the ball in the air, that he makes the one-hand catch look routine. He can uncover and position his big body and use his long arms to make the plays on underneath routes.
Hands...Wilson extends his arms well to catch the ball with his hands out in front. He is a solid natural hands catcher who uses his height advantage and long arms vs. corners to fight for the ball in traffic. His hands appear soft and sure, easily plucking for the ball, even in a crowd. He knows how to set up the safeties with his head fakes and change of direction agility on short routes.
Run After the Catch...Wilson is a power-oriented runner who has success moving the ball up field after the catch. Whether it is using his fluid change of direction agility to elude or his leg drive to break arm tackles, do not get fooled by his size – he will hurt you in more ways than one if you do. He knows where the end zone is and while he will never be a burner, he runs hard with the ball in his hands. He gets good depth through his routes and quickly recognizes the coverage working in the zone. He has the hip-sink agility that allows him to get good quickness coming out of his breaks. As a “Y” receiver, his size posed match-up problems for the smaller defensive backs and he has the ability to stop and start immediately in attempts to elude. He is best when he is on the move, as he shows strength to break tackles
Blocking Ability...Wilson plays with good field smarts and aggression. He will compete as a blocker at the line of scrimmage or in the open field (needs technique refinement) and likes the idea that the coaches will play him in a variety of roles every game, feeling that it not only keeps defenses honest, but has greatly improved his learning curve. He gets to the second level with good angle concept to either cut or wall off. When blocking on the down side, he just needs to realize it is better to out-power rather than try to finesse. His problems occur at the line of scrimmage when he fails to sink his weight, which lets defenders walk him back into the pocket, at times. He can adjust to moving targets, but learning in-line blocking concepts will take time.
Compares To...David Njoku-Cleveland Browns...Using him as an H-Back or slot receiver is his best option, as Wilson needs to be in motion to be productive, evident by his break-out performance in 2018. He is more of a soft angle cutter in the short area, but has valid quickness and control in his movements. He takes strong strides rather than short, quick steps. He manages to gain advantage to hook the nine-tech and moves his feet well to sustain working down the line.
