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Combine Report: Tight Ends

Justin Stine — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:17:07 +0000

Feb 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Missouri Tigers tight end Michael Egnew participates in a catch and run drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

We are up to the tight ends in the combine report here at Ramblin’ Fan, and honestly this is the group I was looking forward to the least. This crop of TE’s is just not very good overall, and I think it showed at the Combine. As always, there were some guys that stood out and some others that didn’t have a great day. Here are my thought.

Guys I Liked: Michael Egnew, Cory Harkey, DeAngelo Peterson

None of these guys are very highly ranked, but I thought they really outplayed their projections on Saturday. Egnew is out of Mizzou, and he probably had the best day of anyone in the group. He was a 4.62 40, had the best broad jump of his group, and he looked outstanding in the drills. He isn’t going to do much blocking at the next level, but in the new NFL where tight ends are another offensive weapon, he really helped his cause. Harkey is a guy who was tabbed as a blocker who has suspect hands, but I really liked what I saw from him catching the ball. Peterson is going to be a project, but he is an excellent athlete who could become an NFL starter if he can refine some of his raw skills.

Guys Who Diappointed: Orson Charles, Coby Fleener

These guys are probably two of the three top-rated players in this group, and both of them chose not to run the 40. Fleener didn’t work out because of an ankle injury, so his inclusion in this “disappointment” group is based on the fact that I struggled to watch this entire session and he was one of the main guys I wanted to see. He didn’t hurt his stock, and he should still be one of the top TEs off the board. Charles is a different story. He was the top-ranked guy on a lot of lists, but I just wasn’t impressed. His 40 wasn’t outstanding, and although he was a beast in the bench press with 35 reps, he really disappointed in the drills. He didn’t look like a great pass-catcher, and overall I was just expecting more.

The quarterbacks are next on my list, and after watching a few hours of tight end workouts, I can’t wait. Spoiler alert for the QB report: Robert Griffin reportedly stole the show! That’s a very good thing for the Rams.

No SJ39 At Workouts

Justin Stine — Sat, 28 May 2011 08:38:09 +0000

We have spent some time talking about all the good things that have been happening with the player-led workouts this week, but one name we haven’t mentioned is Steven Jackson. We haven’t mentioned SJ39 because he was not in attendance. I found it a little surprising that 35 guys showed up and Jackson wasn’t one of them, but I’m not too concerned. Jackson is a veteran who keeps himself in shape and who won’t need much time to learn the new offense, so I don’t think there was much to be gained from a football standpoint. I would have liked to see him there as a leader on this team, but once again I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. SJ leads by example on the field, and he obviously has earned the respect of his teammates during his time with the organization. Would I have preferred for him to be here this week? Sure. Do I think it’s a big deal that he wasn’t? Not at all.

As far as the rest of the guys go, I think it was a good week of workouts from what I have heard. It sounds like the rookies got some much-needed work in, and Bradford did a nice job running the show. The receivers and tight ends were probably the biggest group that needed these workouts, and they were all there, aside from Mardy Gilyard, the guy who probably needed to be there the

Combine Report: Tight End

Justin Stine — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 06:16:58 +0000

After a day off, we are up to the tight end positional report from the 2011 NFL Combine. I’m usually not big on tight ends as a whole, but I was very impressed with this group. There were numerous guys who really impressed – some I expected, and some I didn’t – but overall I saw several players who look like NFL starters. I don’t know how much need the Rams have for a tight end after drafting two last season, but I wouldn’t be overly shocked if the team took another one this year. Here are my reactions.

Player I Was Most Impressed With: Virgil Green (Nevada)

This guy was easily the most impressive player in this group. He is an absolute freak athlete, as evidenced by 4.64 40, his 10-foot-10 broad jump, and his 42.5 in vertical. Not only was he a monster in the measurables, but I was also impressed with him during the drills. He looked to have nice hands, and his route-running ability was more advanced than I expected. He still has some developing to do, but I love his potential.

Honorable Mention – Jordan Cameron, Rob Housler, Julius Thomas, Luke Stocker, DJ Williams.

I thought Cameron (USC) and Housler (FAU) were very impressive, and if not for Green, either one could have been the most impressive in the group. Thomas (Portland St.) is a former basketball player who is pretty raw, but the potential is there for him to become a very nice pass-catcher. Stocker (Tenn) was solid all-around, and Williams (Ark) might have looked the best out of everyone during the drills.

Player I Was Most Disappointed In – Charles Clay (Tulsa)

I had heard some good things about Clay heading into the Combine, but he really struggled throughout the workout. He didn’t blow me away in any of the measurables, and I thought he really struggled in almost all of the drills. He did some nice work in college, but it didn’t translate to his workout. I still think he could be an NFL tight end, but he’s got a ways to go.

Dishonorable Mention – Cameron Graham, Lee Smith, Allen Reisner.

Graham (Louisville) was about as disappointing as Clay, especially in the drill portion of he workout. Smith (Marshall) doesn’t look like a guy who’s ready to play at the NFL level, and while Reisner (Iowa) wasn’t nearly as bad as the others, I didn’t feel like he did anything really well.

Overall, I really liked this class of tight ends, and I think there are guys with some potential that could be had in the mid-to-late rounds if the Rams are interested. I didn’t even mention the top-ranked player at the position, Kyle Rudolph (ND) because he is injured, but he looks to be the cream of a very nice crop.

Wide receivers will be up tomorrow, and you won’t want to miss it. There were some guys who really blew the roof off the place at that position, so stay tuned.