Let's Talk About Tight Ends

So, this year the tight ends aren't as particularly great as other years and I've read some analysts who say outside of Henry, there really isn't a dependable draft choice in the tight end class. So, because on many boards, the tight end class is all over the place, let's talk about tight ends. Outside of Hunter Henry, who do you like in this draft class and why? (You can say who you think is best or just an underrated TE).

For me, there is one tight end that sticks out as underrated on many boards: the tight end from Iowa, Henry Krieger-Coble. He's a guy that many have in the sixth round, and while I have him there currently, he will be moving up after having watched more tape. Krieger-Coble is a prospect who will likely not be a star. He will not be a "flashy" TE like Rob Gronkowski. But what he will be is a dependable, all-around tight end at the next level. He is an inch or two short for a tight end (comes in at 6'3"), but he makes up for it with his knowledge of the game and his technical sound play.

Strengths:

1. He only stands 6'3", but weighs 248 and has a strong upper body. He compliments it by being light-footed and has decent speed.

2. He utilizes head fakes and shifting his weight to create separation (and does well at it). Not as consistent with separation, but he has the ability to do it against top-level linebackers.

3. He has great hands and rarely drops the ball, although it does appear that he struggles with it at times. His catch radius is average.

4. Krieger-Coble is a good blocker. He sets his feet well and can correct himself and can reset his base to recover. He extends his blocks and uses the momentum of rushers to keep them from the backfield.

5. The kid never stops. He plays until the whistle every single down. Always looking for the next opportunity to block/catch the ball. Extremely competitive.

Weaknesses:

1. He only started one year, so due to lack of tape there is some concern there. But played well in his first year.

2. He doesn't have prototypical size. He is short for a TE and doesn't have much growth potential.

3. He's not an elusive ballcarrier. After the catch, he probably won't be doing much besides running downfield until someone catches him. Don't expect him to juke much, although he's always willing to put his head down and try to knock someone over.

4. When he leaves his feet or is caught leaning, he has difficulty bouncing back to block. He tends to be just thrown to the side.

In short, Henry Krieger-Coble doesn't excel at anything, but he does do everything well. He's a dependable all-around tight end that would fit a blocking scheme really well but can also beat man-to-man coverage. He's not freakishly athletic, but he uses what he has really well. He's not going to be a boom or bust type player, you know what you're getting with Krieger-Coble.