The NFL loves its tight ends these days, which makes the 2015 draft allotment so disappointing.
It’s not a strong group overall — one of the weakest in years, one NFL evaluator told the Shutdown Corner last week, in fact — and the player with the highest ceiling, Minnesota’s Maxx Williams, is far from perfect prospect.
Williams is an enticing talent, and he’s still only 20 years old, but he doesn’t separate from coverage very well on tape and must get stronger. Still, he’s the best receiving option of the group and could be a solid contributor in time.
After that, it’s thin.
Miami (Fla.)’s Clive Walford stood tall at the Senior Bowl and might be like recent Hurricanes products that show better in the NFL than they did in college. Similarly, Rutgers’ Tyler Kroft was held back by bad quarterback play and injuries and also might have a nice pro future.
But they and the next handful of tight ends are far from sure things, and very few can be considered good two-way players as both proficient receivers and blockers. Although it’s a moderately reliable “hands” group, the overall athleticism in this year’s tight end collection appears marginal at best.
Here are our top 10 tight end prospects for the 2015 NFL draft:
| Ranking | Player | School | Height | Weight | Notable statistic | Scouting skinny |
| 1 | Maxx Williams | Minnesota | 6-4 | 249 | 28 of 36 catches in '14 went for first down or TD | Cocky, smooth-muscled, natural receiver needs work as blocker;only 20 years old |
| 2 | Clive Walford | Miami (Fla.) | 6-4 | 251 | Averaged 15.3 yards per reception past three seasons | "Move" tight end who doesn't run well but does almost everything else well |
| 3 | Tyler Kroft | Rutgers | 6-5 | 246 | Only 24 catches, 269 yards, zero TDs last season | Talented receiver with limited explosion who has solid, all-around skills |
| 4 | Jeff Heuerman | Ohio State | 6-5 | 254 | Caught 52 passes in 50 college games | Well-built, large-framed positional blocker who was better as junior |
| 5 | Nick Boyle | Delaware | 6-4 | 268 | Avergaed 9.7 yards per catch over four-year career | Thickly built blocker with underrated receiving skills despite athletic limitations |
| 6 | Rory "Busta" Anderson | South Carolina | 6-5 | 244 | Only TE at combine to have hands smaller than 9 inches | Injury-prone, athletically intriguing "F" receiver who needs time to develop |
| 7 | Jesse James | Penn State | 6-7 | 261 | 37-inch vertical leap, 27 bench-press reps at combine | Long-armed, explosive man with mass who doesn't dominate but is functional |
| 8 | Blake Bell | Oklahoma | 6-6 | 252 | Accounted for 40 TDs at OU as QB, tight end | Converted QB, "Belldozer" has Tim Tebow-like run skills but not yet NFL-grade blocker |
| 9 | Nick O'Leary | Florida State | 6-3 | 252 | 13 touchdowns past two seasons combined | Chris Cooley-esque H-back has athletic limitations but tries hard |
| 10 | A.J. Derby | Arkansas | 6-4 | 251 | 22-303-3 receiving in one year as TE | Versatile, short-armed athlete who could be a quality reserve |
SLEEPER
Anderson
The confident, linear Anderson has some really intriguing receiving skills and could end up being a good detached tight end. His best blocking also comes on the perimeter, and unlike other similarly skilled players he gives good effort in that department. Small hands and so-so strength always could be limiting factors, and he has been banged up a lot, but Anderson might be a surprise pass catcher with a better quarterback.
Ben Koyack, Notre Dame
The recent run of Irish tight ends who have been high draft picks and solid successes in the NFL has set the bar high, and Koyack unfortunately doesn’t stack up to his predecessors. He looks the part, is smart, has massive hands and does just enough to tempt you. But the pieces don’t all add up, and he appears to be a one-speed player with limited blocking function who will always leave you wanting more.
SMALL-SCHOOL WONDER
Wes Saxton, South Alabama
The late-blooming, still-raw Saxton had a 36-inch vertical leap and turned in the fastest 10-yard split of any tight end at the NFL scouting combine and shows on tape some real burst and explosion and fluid movement skills. He’s still raw as heck as a receiver, is coming from a crude passing attack and could take years to fully develop (a la Lardarius Green). But a patient team might be rewarded in time with a surprisingly good athletic receiver.
COULD RISE IN DRAFT
Kroft
He’s not a “wow” prospect, but Kroft does a lot of things well and scouts believe he can continue to grow and get stronger. Playing both in-line and detached, Kroft showed good blocking effort and technique and did what he could in the passing game despite poor QB play and a revolving door of coordinators, position coaches and schemes in college. His athletic skills are limited, but Kroft has the look of one of the more dependable tight ends in this draft and could sneak into the second day of the draft because of it.
LATE-ROUND STEAL
Derby
The former Iowa quarterback has taken the long road to get here and has had to answer questions about his character after an alcohol-related arrest a few years ago. But despite a smaller, compact frame and limited blocking development, Derby has some real intrigue. His one year at tight end in a run-heavy offense opened the window of possibilities with a good position coach in his corner. Derby can catch the ball easily and at least appears willing to learn and play a number of roles to help a team win.
PLAYER WHO WILL GO UNDRAFTED BUT SHOULDN’T
Eric Tomlinson, TCU
The hulking Tomlinson can be a sixth offensive lineman in a run-based scheme and should endear himself to an old-school, throwback coach willing to use heavy sets for smashmouth, tone-setting football. Although Tomlinson is merely a short-area receiver, he has dependable hands. A very reliable No. 2 in-line TE prospect.
IDEAL FIT
Walford to the Broncos
The smart, hard-working, well-sculpted Walford was underused at Miami (go figure!) but raised his stock with a good Senior Bowl week and has the look of an excellent No. 2 or a solid No. 1 tight end. One year might not be enough time to earn the trust of Peyton Manning, but the Broncos need more depth at this position and would be smart to develop a future starter for down the road. Walford doesn’t run all that fast, but look past the numbers and you’ll see a good football player.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
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