NFL Scouting Combine: Five tight ends with the most to prove
By Andrew Wade
The NFL Scouting Combine is here, and plenty of eyes will be on this year’s draft class of tight ends. Here are the five with the most to prove.
The 2020 NFL Draft’s crop of tight ends doesn’t include two sure-fire first-round prospects like last years with Iowa Hawkeye tight ends TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant, but it is an intriguing group. Part of that intrigue stems from the number of questions surrounding each prospect. With the NFL Scouting Combine taking place this week, many of these prospects are looking to lay a few of these questions to rest.
Here are the five with the most to prove in Indianapolis this week.
Thaddeus Moss, LSU
After just one season of solid, yet unspectacular, production in LSU’s historic offense, Thaddeus Moss made the surprising decision to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. The son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss likely could have used another year in college to continue his development, but now he is viewed as fringe day two prospect for this year’s draft.
Given his pedigree, all eyes will be on Moss to see how he performs at the NFL Scouting Combine. A good 40-yard dash and clean route running in position drills could build momentum for the tight end prospect heading into Pro Day. Unfortunately for him, he is already off to a rough start with his measurements clocking him in a bit short in height and arm length.
Harrison Bryant, FAU
The 2019 Mackey Award winner topped the 1,000-yard mark this past season for the Florida Atlantic Owls and continued his strong play at the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama as he consistently won in 1-on-1 drills. Harrison Bryant’s measurements today weren’t exactly ideal, but with a strong performance in Indianapolis, he could surpass the likes of Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins and Dayton’s Adam Trautman and slide into the 2nd or 3rd tight end conversation.
Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State
Coming into the 2020 Senior Bowl, I was really excited to watch Portland State tight end Charlie Taumoepeau, but that excitement faded quickly. Taumoepeau may have played himself out of a draftable grade with his performance down in Mobile. He looked stiff and awkward in agility drills, struggled to create separation in 1-on-1 drills, and didn’t display great hands.
Being a small-school guy, there were already a lot of question marks about the competition, and now there are question marks about his fit at the next level. Measuring in at just over 6’2” and 240 pounds, can he even play the tight end position at the next level? He needs to wow in position drills and testing at the NFL Scouting Combine if he wants to correct his dwindling draft stock.
Albert Okweugbunam, Missouri
Albert Okweugbunam was once considered a future first-round draft pick, but his performance took a hit one current Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock left Columbus. Okweugbunam’s production dipped from 43 receptions to 26 receptions and from 466 receiving yards to 306 receiving yards. Further complicating matters is that he couldn’t stay healthy while at Missouri.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, all eyes will be on this kid’s medicals. If that checks out, and he puts together even an average 3-cone and 40-yard dash at 6’5 1/2″ and 258 pounds, Okweugbunam could make scouts begin to forget about the injuries and production concerns.
Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet is considered one of the top, if not the top, prospect in this class of tight ends, but NFL talent evaluators weren’t expecting him to declare this year so the evaluation process started off a bit slow. With no tight ends clearly separating from the pack at this point, it’s Kmet’s chance to shine. He’s a huge guy standing at just under 6’6” and weighing 262 pounds, and there are concerns about his overall athleticism. Given that he isn’t known as a superb blocker, he will need to put together a fantastic position drill performance at the NFL Scouting Combine if he wants to become the clear-cut number one tight end.