Drafting a tight end in the first round, with the picks we have, and the needs we have, is a total waste.
Spoiler https://theathletic.com/3714498/2022/10/21/nfl-draft-2023-qbs/ The Big Three C.J. Stroud, Ohio State Strengths Stroud is justifiably the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy right now. He has thrown 24 touchdown passes to only three interceptions on 160 attempts, good for a hilarious touchdown rate of 15 percent. Stroud just does all of the quarterback things well. He is an accurate passer at all three levels from the pocket and when having to throw on the move. And while Stroud’s arm strength is more good rather than great or elite, he throws with touch and his ball placement lets him maximize his opportunities. Vid This throw against Notre Dame shows how Stroud places a throw in the ideal location away from defenders, which not only ends up in a completion but allows his receiver to create yards after the catch. He is taking the one-on-one and is unfazed by the defender buzzing underneath the throw or the cornerback having inside leverage. Stroud throws his receiver open, putting the ball where only his receiver can catch it. Stroud benefits from a strong supporting cast and the Buckeyes’ offense can make it simple for him, but he consistently goes to the right spot with his reads and does not shy away from having to make the more difficult throws when needed. He is an intelligent player who plays with a calmness in the pocket and gets better and better with his pocket movement every week, showing off balance while keeping his eyes downfield as he hunts for throws. Stroud, who just turned 21 this month, looks like he put in work this offseason to improve his frame and is solidly built. And while Stroud is a quality athlete who can pick up yards with his legs and be consistently accurate while throwing on the move, he chooses to do his damage from the pocket and scrambles only as a last resort. Question mark/room for improvement Sometimes you do want to see Stroud tap into his running ability more and make it easier on himself. He has 10 rushes on the season, and while a big part of that is because Ohio State has been so dominant on offense and Stroud wants to launch balls from the pocket, that is still an aspect of Stroud’s game that I hope to see him unleash as the season goes along. Stroud will still at times take unnecessary bounces in his dropbacks and end up late on throws because of the vertical structure of the Ohio State offense. Even in the clip above, you can see Stroud taking an extra little hitch. He still places the throw right on the money in a tight spot, but the room for error is so ridiculously small in the NFL that trimming any fat he can will make his life easier. He has already improved in this area — it’s remarkable how far he has come since his matchup against Oregon in 2021 — but it’s a clear part of his game needing further improvement. Bryce Young, Alabama Strengths The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner is just a gamer through and through. He is incredibly tough and makes his teammates around him better, hiding the blemishes of his offensive line or a lacking play call. Young is an excellent creator while out of structure. He possesses the ability to not only throw off-platform both inside and outside of the pocket, but to create explosive plays in those situations. Young’s athleticism and ability to ad-lib might be what his highlights consist of, but he is actually a bit underrated when operating from the pocket: Vid While Young has below-average height, it does not limit his ability to throw over the middle of the field, similar to other quarterbacks on the shorter end. The above clip against Texas is a good example of how Young is constantly attacking down the field when working from the pocket. He could take the angle route to the running back, and that would be a more than fine answer. But he is hunting for explosive plays and takes the “high” portion of the concept. He also throws the ball while on time and in rhythm. Young is not just a big-play hunter, though. He is willing to find his check-down when downfield options are covered, displaying an understanding of operating an offense. Young constantly breaks loose from what should be easy sacks and can make difficult throws on the move look routine, but that shouldn’t take away from his ability as a pocket passer. He is accurate and can alternate between throwing with touch or line-driving a ball into a tight space. And you appreciate his ability to play the quarterback position the more you watch him, which I’m sure NFL teams will also agree with. He’s just a football player. Question marks/room for improvement It’s going to be an exhausting conversation by the time draft season is in full swing, but every conversation about Young as a pro will begin and end with his size. The last quarterback listed under 200 pounds to be drafted in the first round was Jim McMahon in 1982. The last quarterback listed under 200 pounds to go in the first three rounds was Pat White in 2009. Outliers certainly do exist. And Young does a lot of the “traditional” things well on top of his creation ability, so arguing he could be that type of outlier isn’t a fool’s errand. While Kyler Murray is the easy body type comparison to draw with Young, Murray has a thicker build, which helps alleviate some of the size concerns (although Murray did rack up injuries and miss three games in the 2021 season). There are similarities to their play styles, but Murray might have just a little more arm strength, too. If we’re picking nits, Young can also bail out of the pocket a bit early at times. His ability and willingness to find throws from between the tackles is already much improved from his Heisman Award-winning 2021 season, but this is an area where he will have to find the correct balance at the next level.
Spoiler Will Levis, Kentucky Strengths It’s easy to see why evaluators might take a liking to Levis. He has a big arm with a stupidly quick release and has improved his accuracy in the underneath and intermediate areas. The Kentucky offense asks him to make “real” reads with their dropback passing concepts, including throws that take him over the middle part of the field, and Levis shows the ability to drive the ball into tight spaces with enough anticipation to maximize yards after the catch. Levis can throw his teammates open when they’re tightly covered, which is often. On underneath throws and downfield, he flashes the ability to place the ball in locations where his teammate is the only one who can catch it. He has the arm strength to pin the ball on their chest like a lapel. Levis’ arm strength shows up when throwing deep. He can threaten defenses starting to creep down because every throw is available to him, even when he can’t step into it. His deep-ball accuracy can be scattershot, but a glass-half-full take is that Kentucky’s receivers don’t help him too much in that regard. Levis is also a strong and explosive athlete. He stands strong in the pocket and is a valid weapon on quarterback read plays or when he decides to tuck the ball and run. Question marks/room for improvement Levis is a good athlete and a tough runner, but his vision as a runner is lacking and he can be a magnet for contact. Levis also will force throws into tight spaces when late on his reads, even when his feet are screaming at him to check the ball down or throw it away. His willingness to try tough throws is a good problem, but something that still must be honed. His internal clock has sped up compared to 2021, but it’s another area where he has to learn to not “wish” a throw open and instead take an easier answer underneath. Levis’ pocket movement has improved, but he takes a ton of big shots because he can lock on to a receiver for a bit too long or try to do too much to make a play. Again, he has improved as a processor and flashes the ability to work through his progressions, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Levis is still far from a finished product, even if his flashes and tools are exciting. His age — he will be a 24-year-old rookie — must also be noted, especially when compared to Stroud and Young. Best of the rest Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (Fla.) […] Anthony Richardson, Florida Strengths It doesn’t take too long to see why Richardson is such an interesting prospect. Richardson has an outstanding combination of size, big arm and explosive athleticism — traits that every evaluator will love. He has excellent arm strength, able to drive the ball with a quick release and launch moon balls with the best of them. While his play is streaky, he is consistently trying to do the right thing. He progresses on plays that he’s comfortable with and shows a willingness to work through plays to find the right throw, even finding checkdowns when routes are covered down the field. Richardson is a powerful player who can bounce off tacklers and has real burst as a runner. Every quarterback run concept is available for him, and he can go the distance on any run. Question marks/weaknesses Richardson is a home run swing of a prospect. While his best plays are simply exquisite, they can be few and far between. And while Richardson is trying to do the right thing on plays, his feel varies both when reading plays out and navigating the pocket. He lacks anticipation on throws and often ends up late, which then can have the domino effect of Richardson trying to jam a throw in, often with erratic footwork and accuracy. Richardson’s fantastic athletic ability can get him out of trouble, but he can also create trouble in the pocket. He’ll bounce around into an offensive lineman or bail out earlier than needed. Richardson is a bundle of tools who needs as many repetitions as possible. He shows that he can progress and find throws from the pocket, but he needs to do it more regularly. If he does, watch out. Tanner McKee, Stanford […] Hendon Hooker, Tennessee Strengths Hooker plays in an explosive offense that has the green light for launching bombs seemingly every single play. And while it’s easy to paint a broad brush and chalk him up as a system quarterback with a talented receiver room, there has to be credit given for how well Hooker is playing as the triggerman. He has good arm strength on intermediate throws and throws a very catchable deep ball, which he gets to uncork early and often. Hooker is a relaxed player who plays with quiet feet and is in control of the offense. He has a comfort level with what’s being asked on each play and can quickly scan through his progression and check the ball down when needed. He’s also a smart scrambler who knows when to tuck and run when his downfield options aren’t popping open. Question marks/room for improvement While Hooker should get credit for how well he is playing, he certainly does benefit from an offense that is littered with easy buttons and standout players. The Volunteers’ offense places defenders on islands to deal with wide splits, stack alignments and switch releases, leaving them chasing Tennessee receivers all over the field. Hooker gets to have his pick of the litter working through his options. Hooker shows the ability to anticipate in-breakers, but his longer release time can get him in trouble when he doesn’t have a clean pocket to drive on throws. And while Hooker knows when to scramble, he is more of just a fine athlete than a notable one with solid burst and play strength rather than it being a true plus to his game. Hooker is also a sixth-year senior who will be a 25-year-old rookie. And while being old enough to rent a car legally shouldn’t damn a prospect instantly, it does naturally cause some hesitation about how much room for growth there is with his game. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas […]
And Mark Andrews I understand where the poster is coming from but TEs are used so much more differently now then in years past. And TE is also a huge hole for this team offensively that’s just the truth this team hasn’t had a solid TE since Owen Daniels really.
Well, let's start with the fact that none of these tight ends were first-round picks. Let's jump to the question of who exactly is going to throw them the ball? Drafting a tight end in the first round has an even lower success rate than drafting a running back in the first round. It seems like every year, as someone else mentioned, there is that do it all tight end that goes in the first round. Even have one on our roster right now. Yet, somehow, all the guys being discussed were drafted outside of the first round. If if you want to alter the trajectory of a franchise, especially when you have this many draft picks, you have to start at the positions that matter and make impacts. First and foremost is quarterback. A year ago, we could have said the same thing about any of the numerous running backs drafted ahead of Dameon Pierce. Now we are all pretty happy with what we got. Certain positions just don't fetch a premium in the NFL draft unless your team has very few holes and is competing for a championship.
The #1 offense (Ohio St) vs the #1 defense (Iowa) in the country will be fun. The other half of it will be unwatchable.
