Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Every year some draft forecast has the Cards taking a round 1 TE. This year it’s PFF. Heaven knows they have lacked one. Some TE is always the guy who will transform any offense he joins. Many of these guys disappear entirely. Historically these TEs rarely have any significant impact. There are 2 reasons this happens. The first is that few offenses really make extensive use of the tight end. It would be valid to observe that more teams today do use the TE, especially as they have found opposing teams often have trouble covering TEs. Still more often than not, teams have trouble integrating a TE as a major factor.
The second issue with TEs is that they are very hard to evaluate. Think about it this way. If NFL teams, made up of the best of the best, can’t cover TEs, what do you think happens in college? Rarely do they face 2 quality CBs, let alone a quality 3rd CB. Opponents could use a safety, some NFL teams do. In the NFL safeties are often as fast as CBs. In college this is less frequently the case. So, often the TE is covered by a slower defensive player or a less agile cover person. This personnel gap often causes TEs to have some great games when they are poorly defended. Scouts rarely see a player in every game except on film. If they catch the big game it’s bound to impact their evaluation regardless of their evaluation of the cover guys.
The last 5 years of TE drafting should be enough to convince most people how ineffective this strategy is.
2020 None
2019 TJ Hockenson
Noah Fant
2018 Hayden Hurst
2017 OJ Howard
2016 None
This is not to say Pitts is not a capable TE. Teams defending the Gators had to cover near 1000 yard receiver Kadarius Toney. Additionally the Gators could put on the field an astonishing 12 other pass catchers, aside from Toney and Pitts, who had more than 100 yards receiving. This was a hard passing game to defense. Pitts was good but he had a great deal of help.
I’m certain some team will take Pitts in round 1. He should be a decent receiver, but somewhat less effective, though willing, as a blocker. I just doubt he will be an an impact player.
The second issue with TEs is that they are very hard to evaluate. Think about it this way. If NFL teams, made up of the best of the best, can’t cover TEs, what do you think happens in college? Rarely do they face 2 quality CBs, let alone a quality 3rd CB. Opponents could use a safety, some NFL teams do. In the NFL safeties are often as fast as CBs. In college this is less frequently the case. So, often the TE is covered by a slower defensive player or a less agile cover person. This personnel gap often causes TEs to have some great games when they are poorly defended. Scouts rarely see a player in every game except on film. If they catch the big game it’s bound to impact their evaluation regardless of their evaluation of the cover guys.
The last 5 years of TE drafting should be enough to convince most people how ineffective this strategy is.
2020 None
2019 TJ Hockenson
Noah Fant
2018 Hayden Hurst
2017 OJ Howard
2016 None
This is not to say Pitts is not a capable TE. Teams defending the Gators had to cover near 1000 yard receiver Kadarius Toney. Additionally the Gators could put on the field an astonishing 12 other pass catchers, aside from Toney and Pitts, who had more than 100 yards receiving. This was a hard passing game to defense. Pitts was good but he had a great deal of help.
I’m certain some team will take Pitts in round 1. He should be a decent receiver, but somewhat less effective, though willing, as a blocker. I just doubt he will be an an impact player.
