NFL Draft 2014 Preview (25 page)

Weaknesses:
Lethargic release. Can be jammed up and rerouted off the line of scrimmage. Average speed. Stiff movement. Unrefined route runner — tends to drift. In-line blocking needs work. Gets overpowered at the point of attack. Could stand to play with more intensity. Ordinary production. Is not especially strong for an overaged prospect. Will be a 25-year-old rookie (served a two-year LDS mission).

Future:
Overaged, fairly athletic tight end/H-back who grew out of the receiver position. Missed four games as a junior because of a broken wrist and made a premature decision to leave school early in order to support his wife and daughter. Sure hands are his only standout trait.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“He didn’t interview very well. He didn’t understand a lot of football concepts. He’s raw. He did not come across as confident. He spoke softly. He should have stayed in school another year.”

TE [Y] JORDAN NAJVAR, #18

BAYLOR
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Grade: 4.85

Ht: 6-5 7/8| Wt: 256 | Sp: 4.93 | Arm: 32 1/4 | Hand: 10

History:
Prepped in Texas, where he led the state’s tight ends in receiving as a senior when he caught 52 balls for 787 yards (15.1-yard average and three touchdowns. Originally signed with Stanford — redshirted in 2009, but transferred instead of vying for positioning on the Cardinal’s depth chart which included Coby Fleener (Colts), Levine Toilolo (Falcons), Zach Ertz (Eagles) and Ryan Hewitt. Sat out ’10 per NCAA transfer rules. Served primarily as a blocker in Baylor’s spread offense. Started 8-of-13 games in ’11 and snagged 15-146-2 (9.7). Played all 13 games in ’12, starting three, and caught 10-80-2 (8.0). Started 8-of-12 games played in ’13 and contributed 10-85-0 (8.5). Injured his back against Buffalo and sat out against Louisiana-Monroe.

Strengths:
Terrific size. Functional seal, “move” or “wham” blocker. Can stay frontal long enough to keep his quarterback clean in the quick game. Lined up inline and in the backfield. Catches the low-difficulty, short-to-intermediate passes he should. Produced the best 60-yard shuttle time (12.02 seconds) among tight ends at the Combine.

Weaknesses:
Has short arms. Average foot speed. Stiff movement — cannot separate vs. man coverage. Does not play to his size. Poor in-line blocker — gets overpowered at the point of attack. Limited grip strength to sustain. Minimal receiving production (not a natural catcher). Clocked the slowest 40-time (4.98 seconds) among tight ends at the Combine and only benchpressed 225 pounds 18 times.

Future:
Big, smart Stanford transfer who was used primarily as a blocker in an explosive offense, though he does not excel in this area or in the receiving game. Could be startled by the body power of NFL defensive ends, and has a ceiling as a No. 3 tight end.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

TE [Y] TROY NIKLAS, #85 (JUNIOR)

NOTRE DAME
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Grade: 5.65

Ht: 6-6 1/2 | Wt: 270 | Sp: 4.80e | Arm: 34 1/8 | Hand: 10

History:
Highly recruited two-way lineman/tight end out of Anaheim (CA) Servite, where he won a state title. Nephew of Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews. Played outside linebacker as a true freshman in 2011 when he played 12 games (one start) and collected 20 tackles, one-half for loss and zero sacks. Did not play in the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State. Converted to tight end and backed up Bengals ’13 first-rounder Tyler Eifert in ’12 — started 7-of-13 games and tallied 5 catches for 75 yards (15-yard average) and a touchdown. Took on a more prominent role in ’13 when he started all 13 games and produced 32-498-5 (15.6). Elected not to run the 40-yard dash at the Combine.

Strengths:
Outstanding size with a well-proportioned, muscular build. Big target over the middle and in the red zone. Athletic with flexible hips and knees to run the full tight end route tree. Bursts into routes and stretches the seam. Good hands. Has playmaking ability. Lined up flexed and in-line. Good potential as a blocker. Bends his knees, shuffles and fans rushers wide. Works well in tandem and can combo block effectively. Takes care of his body and maintains low body fat. Has NFL bloodlines.

Weaknesses:
Work in progress as an in-line blocker — lacks ideal base strength, grip strength and overall body power. Bends at the waist and falls off some blocks. Route running needs refinement. Is still learning to use his frame advantageously — inconsistent traffic player. Lacks elite top-end speed. Average elusiveness and creativity after the catch. Could stand to play with more physicality and become a better finisher.

Future:
A converted DE/OLB who emerged from the shadow of Bengals 2013 first-rounder Tyler Eifert, Niklas is the latest in a strong line of NFL tight ends produced by Notre Dame. He boasts an intriguing combination of size, athleticism, receiving ability and blocking ability to develop into a bona fide, balanced, No. 1 tight end. Has played tight end for just two years and is clearly ascending.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He reminds me a little bit of Martellus Bennett, but he was a better blocker. Niklas is very raw in that area. I still think someone will take a shot at him in the second (round). …I think teams are trying to float some misinformation on him already, hoping he will fall to the third.”

H-BACK JACOB PEDERSEN, #48

WISCONSIN
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Grade: 5.10

Ht: 6-3 1/2 | Wt: 238 | Sp: 4.89 | Arm: 31 3/4 | Hand: 9

History:
Last name pronounced “PED-er-sen.” Won a state football championship, played basketball and competed in track and field as a Michigan prep. Redshirted in 2009. Played all 13 games in ’10, starting four, and caught eight balls for 132 yards (16.5-yard average) and two touchdowns. Missed time during ’11 spring practice because of a broken right foot. Played all 14 games each of the next two seasons — caught 30-356-8 (11.9) in ’11 (seven starts) and 27-355-4 (13.1) in ’12 (10 starts). Started all 12 games played in ’13, totaling 39-541-3 (14.1). Did not play against Ohio State (left MCL sprain). Caught the most touchdowns (17) by a tight end in school history.

Strengths:
Used inline, in motion, in the backfield and as lead blocker. Gets off the line cleanly (smoother than sudden). Does the dirty work and is willing to mix it up inside — displays leverage, knee bend and competitiveness. Effective move blocker. Very good personal and football character.

Weaknesses:
Has short arms and small hands. Lacks ideal bulk strength. At a size disadvantage vs. NFL defensive ends. Ordinary acceleration and foot speed, especially for his size. Does not threaten the seam and lacks suddenness to separate vs. athletic defenders. Lets throws into his body and is not strong-handed. Average strength and elusiveness after catch. Does not exhibit fullback-caliber pop on contact to consider for conversion. Has a 28 1/2-inch vertical jump.

Future:
A valued component of the Wisconsin offense, Pedersen lacks the girth to line up as an in-line tight end, but could function as a complementary H-back capable of deploying in multiple spots and catching short-to-intermediate passes in the play-action passing game.

Draft projection:
Fifth- to sixth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He’s just a guy. I’d be interested in him after the draft. I thought the other tight end there had more upside.”

TE [Y] RICHARD RODGERS, #11 (JUNIOR)

CALIFORNIA
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Grade: 5.20

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 257 | Sp: 4.87 | Arm: 32 5/8 | Hand: 10 1/8

History:
Father, Richard Sr., was involved in “The Play” in the 1982 Cal-Stanford game, and currently serves as the special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. Richard Jr. was a receiver-defensive end who also played basketball as a Massachusetts prep. Recruited as a tight end, committed to Cal and then-head coach Jeff Tedford. Saw very limited action in 2011 (13 games). Started 6-of-11 games played in ’12 and caught 20 balls for 288 yards (14.4-yard average) and a touchdown. Did not play against Ohio State (ankle) and played the final three games of the season with torn ligaments in his right foot. Had surgery to repair a torn labrum and sat out ’13 spring practice. In the fall, played 11 games and pulled in 39-608-1 (15.6). Injured his left thumb against Arizona, had surgery and did not play against USC.

Strengths:
Good balance and body control. Dependable short-to-intermediate receiver. Can snatch throws off his body and make contested grabs. Has potential as a move blocker. Showed dedication and discipline re-shaping his body as a junior. Coach’s son.

Weaknesses:
Tight hips. Average speed and suddenness — dull in/out of breaks and struggles to separate vs. more explosive safeties. Unrefined route runner. Straightlinish after the catch. Started just 11 games in three seasons.

Future:
Rodgers’ career arc was affected by Cal’s coaching turnover, as the former high school receiver was recruited as a tight end by Jeff Tedford’s staff and bulked up to 275 pounds as a sophomore when he was out of shape, in part because of a torn labrum and torn foot ligament. As a junior, Rodgers shed 30 pounds and shifted to inside receiver for Sonny Dykes, enabling him to show his more natural “F” tight end skills. Is an unpolished product, but could be a better pro than college player.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

TE [Y] AUSTIN SEFERIAN-JENKINS, #88 (JUNIOR)

WASHINGTON
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Grade: 5.50

Ht: 6-5 1/2 | Wt: 262 | Sp: 4.70e | Arm: 33 3/4 | Hand: 9 3/4

History:
Highly recruited out of Washington where he also played basketball in high school. As a true freshman in 2011, started 10-of-13 games and caught 41 balls for 538 yards (13.1-yard average) and six touchdowns. Started all 13 games in ’12 and hauled in 69-852-7 (12.4). Was arrested March ’13 for DUI following a late-night car accident (blood-alcohol level was 0.18) — pleaded guilty, paid a $695 fine and was sentenced to 364 days in jail, 363 of which were suspended. Also was suspended for the season opener against Boise State. Broke his right pinkie finger during fall camp and had surgery to insert a pin in the finger. On the season, started all 12 games played and won the Mackey Award — snagged 36-450-8 (12.5) while establishing UW career records most receptions (146), receiving yards (1,840) and touchdown catches (21) by a tight end. Also played 17 games for the Huskies basketball team as a freshman. Combine examination revealed a stress fracture in his right foot which required surgery and precluded working out.

Strengths:
Looks the part. Has outstanding size and stature — presents a big target and dwarfs defensive backs. Uses physicality to create separation and can post up in the red zone. Athletic — spent time on the UW basketball team. Terrific movement skills and receiving ability for a big man. Surprising foot speed and agility — stretches the seam. Adjusts to throws and has soft hands. Has potential to be an effective in-line blocker — has size and core strength to seal defensive ends.

Weaknesses:
Could stand to sculpt his physique and get functionally stronger. Work-in-progress as an in-line blocker. Not an explosive athlete. Ordinary release. Builds to speed. Tight hips. Does not pop out of breaks. Limited elusiveness after the catch. Receptions and yards fell off by nearly 50 percent as a junior. Character and stability need to be looked into.

Future:
An intriguing height-weight-speed prospect, Seferian-Jenkins has all the tools to be a legitimate No. 1 tight end in the NFL, though he has to maintain focus and consistency and continue improving as a blocker. Has good core strength to develop into a functional, all-around tight end if he learns to get after it in the run game. Suspect quarterback play dipped production as a senior.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He is a basketball dude — what everyone is trying to get at tight end. He has that Gronkowski-type basketball build. The quarterback sprays the ball and they don’t have much outside him at receiver, so they can double-down on him. He started since he was a freshman and had success early. He has had some issues that I don’t know if we’ll be able to get past.”

TE [Y] D.J. TIALAVEA, #91

UTAH STATE
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Grade: 4.80

Ht: 6-3 1/2 | Wt: 267 | Sp: 4.75e | Arm: 33 5/8 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Last name is pronounced “Tee-al-uh-vah-uh.” Two-way lineman and tight end who earned three letters in both basketball and baseball as a Utah prep. Was recruited as a defensive lineman — redshirted in 2009 and saw very limited action in ’10 (nine games). Switched to tight end in ’11 and started 6-of-13 games, catching seven balls for 74 yards (10.6-yard average) and a touchdown. Started 7-of-12 games played in ’12 and had 6-31-1 (5.2). Did not play in the season opener against Southern Utah. In ’13, started 4-of-6 games played and managed 17-93-3 (5.5) before having season-ending surgery to repair a broken right foot. Father, Don, passed away in November ’13. Did not perform any workouts at the Combine because of a foot injury.

Strengths:
Well-built, muscular blocker. Good arm length and overall mass. Can get in the way as a blocker. Efficient cut blocker. Functional short-area receiver.