NFL Draft – TE Rankings
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16.) Rob Blanchflower, Massachusetts (6’4, 256): H-back / Move TE prospect who is pretty solid in all aspects. Decent speed, he can block, better than average hands, and deceptive quickness. The main drawback is that he can’t stay healthy consistently. If Blanchflower can stay healthy, he could develop into a quality #2 TE. Draft Projection: 6th-7th round
17.) Alex Bayer, Bowling Green (6’4, 257): Solid but unspectacular in all aspects of the game with decent athleticism (4.77, 31.5 vertical, 20 bench reps). Bayer is a pretty good blocker, has decent hands, didn’t miss a game in three years as a starter and scored 10 touchdowns in his college career. Bayer has a low ceiling, but could be a solid 2nd or 3rd TE in the league for a long time. Draft Projection: UFA
18.) Jacob Pederson, Wisconsin (6’3, 238): Has below average athleticism, but a track record of good production in college. Wisconsin has turned into tight end U over the last few years (5 Badgers TEs in the league) and Pederson has a shot to be the 6th. Pederson was a move TE at Wisconsin so he is familiar with the responsibilities of the position and despite limited athleticism, small hands, and a thin build, Pederson was very effective in the Big Ten. He’s a long shot, but a hard worker with plenty of football smarts so he has a chance. Draft Projection: UFA
19.) Blake Annen, Cincinnatti (6’4, 247): Was a non-factor production wise last year (16, 183, 2) but had an awesome pro day which put him on NFL radars. Annen ran a 4.41 40, had a 10″ broad jump, a 34″ vertical and put up 25 reps of 225 pounds. That’s NFL athleticism and will probably get Annen at least a shot in some teams training camp. Draft Projection: UFA
20.) Jordan Najvar, Baylor (6’6, 260): Has ideal size for a tight end and was a solid blocker in college. Unfortunately blocking was all he did at Baylor; Najvar had only 10 catches for 85 yards as a senior. He was one of the biggest surprises of the Shrine game practices, displaying good hands, fluid mobility and a knack for finding soft spots in cover-2 and cover-3 zones. Najvar will take some time to develop but could eventually become a back-up TE. Draft Projection: UFA
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