The 2014 NFL Draft is overwhelmingly loaded with the new breed of athletic tight ends, pass-catchers in the mold of Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. Though the class is not very deep, a team could certainly add another dimension to their passing attack with the addition of one of these young prospects.
The consensus No. 1 tight end is North Carolina’s Eric Ebron. A second team All-American, Ebron led the Tar Heels in receiving last year en route to re-writing both the North Carolina and ACC record books. Not only is Ebron heralded as one of the best pass-catchers in this year’s crop, but he’s arguably the most complete prospect as well. Ebron is a capable blocker, expected to improve as he adds more weight, and reminds some scouts of the San Francisco 49ers’ Vernon Davis.
Coming in at No. 2 is Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro. The 6-foot-5 Red Raiders standout presents a massive target for quarterbacks, evident by his 2013 campaign in which he recorded the most yardage by a tight end in FBS history. Texas Tech utilized Amaro much like the New Orleans Saints did so with Graham, though he’s drawn more parallels to Gronkowski largely due to his frame.
Rounding out the XN Sports top three is Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins. The former Huskies standout is a bit lesser-known than Ebron or Amaro despite taking home the John Mackey Award last year after a second straight exceptional campaign. Seferian-Jenkins stands 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, but plays with more finesse than size would indicate. He has tremendous hands and body control, and his play reminds scouts of the Chicago Bears’ Martellus Bennet,, who has emerged as one of the better pass-catchers in recent years.
XN Sports TE Rankings:
1. Eric Ebron
2. Jace Amaro
3. Austin Seferian-Jenkins
4. Troy Niklas
5. C.J. Fiedorowicz
6. Richard Rogers
7. Jake Murphy
8. Colt Lyeria
9. Arthur Lynch
10. Marcel Jensen
