Mike's Second Take on the TE position ...
Who's stock has risen and why?
Matt Bushman, BYU (6-4, 239 lbs.) - Bushman got a chance to re-introduce himself to the army of evaluators that showed up to see quarterback Zach Wilson throw at BYU's Pro Day, and to re-establish himself as healthy. Bushman opted to return to BYU rather than enter last year's draft and then suffered a torn ACL a week before the 2020 season.
"I showed I'm ready," he told KSL Sports. "My biggest strength is my catching ability. I have some of the best hands in this (tight end) class."
Bushman missed Wilson's breakout season at quarterback in 2020 but caught 47 passes for 688 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. Bushman's three-year totals at BYU include 125 catches, 1,719 receiving yards and nine scores. He established a reputation in those three seasons for great hands and an ability to break tackles.
Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic was among those who lamented the injury that cost Bushman his 2020 campaign, and tweeted "Bushman was one of the few promising prospects" in what Brugler considered a "lackluster" tight end class.
Bushman is an older prospect at 25 (having completed a Mormon Mission), but he's flexed out and played inline. He's been a playmaker, has shown potential as a blocker and could be a promising find on Day 3.
Other Notes: Stanford's Pro Day reminded one and all Scooter Harrington (6-5, 250 lbs.) is a Stanford tight end, which may yet prove significant. There were six of those on NFL rosters in 2020 (Austin Hooper, Cleveland; Dalton Schultz, Dallas; Kaden Smith, Levine Toilolo, New York Football Giants; Zach Ertz, Philadelphia; and Colby Parkinson, Seattle). Jeremiah projected Harrington as a priority free agent but added this caveat: "When you get a Stanford tight end you're gonna get somebody that's smart, that's tough, that's gonna have a good chance to make your football team." Stanford has had a tight end on an NFL opening-day roster for nine consecutive seasons. The 36 Stanford players on active rosters in 2020 were the most from a Pac 12 school (two better than Washington's 34) … Dylan Soehner (6-7, 272 lbs.) let reporters know after Iowa State's Pro Day he'd be just fine with continuing to play the blocking-tight end role in the NFL that he fulfilled in college. "If there's a job that's typically labeled as 'unfavorable' in the football world, then that's the kind of job for me," he said. "If the coach is like, 'Man, who do we have to do this?' That's always been my job." Soehner caught 18 passes for 205 yards in nine games in 2020 and 26 for 312 yards and one touchdown in 25 career games at Iowa State … Another player who didn't make much of a pass-catching splash last season was Georgia's Tre McKitty (6-4, 246 lbs.), but NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks remains big on McKitty's potential to do more of that in the NFL than he did in his one season at Georgia (six catches, 108 yards, one receiving TD) after transferring from Florida State. Brooks maintains McKitty has the ability to "create mismatches with his speed, his athleticism and quickness. This is a guy who has all the tools you look for at the position."
Mike's First Take on the TE position ...
#5 - Tre' McKitty, Georgia (6-4, 244 lbs.) - Speaking of untaped potential, McKitty caught 26 passes at Florida State in 2018, 23 for the Seminoles in 2019 and six last season after transferring to Georgia. His work during Senior Bowl practices suggested he's capable of a whole lot more. "Very under-used at Georgia," ESPN analyst Todd McShay assessed during Senior Bowl week broadcasts on ESPNU. "He's really talented. I think he's gonna be one of those players who has a better pro career in terms of production than he did in college." ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum cited McKitty's consistency in "catching the ball naturally" at the Senior Bowl. "He's really elevated his stock to be a three-down tight end in the NFL," Tannenbaum added. "It's rare nowadays. Tre' McKitty has the build to do that."
#4 - Brevin Jordan, Miami (6-3, 235 lbs.) - The tape displays Jordan's versatility. He lined up in-line, in the slot and even in the backfield at Miami. Seven touchdown receptions in eight games speaks to Jordan's productivity. And he has a reputation for being an enthusiastic blocker. A clip from the Florida State game features Jordan engaging a safety at the line of scrimmage on a sweep from the right hash and driving his opponent all the way to the sideline (Jordan had a size advantage in the matchup but it was impressive nonetheless).
#3 - Pat Freiermuth, Penn State (6-5, 259 lbs.) - He played just four games in 2020 (23 catches, 310 yards, one touchdown) before undergoing back surgery, so he's going to have to check out medically. But Freiermuth had eight receiving TDs as a freshman and seven as a sophomore, so he's produced when healthy. Draft analyst Dane Bruegler of The Athletic also cited "compete skills" that stood out in his evaluation of Freiermuth.
#2 - Hunter Long, Boston College (6-5, 253 lbs.) - Long is more solid than spectacular and more workmanlike than athletic, but he also may well be the second-most known commodity at the position in terms of what can be expected at the next level. "He has the size you want to play in-line but they'll also use him on the wing, split him out a little bit," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah observed of Long's time at Boston College. "He's kind of a jack of all trades, master of none, just a good, solid, all-around player." Long has made contested catches and been compared with Kyle Rudolph. Long has also been called a "terrific ambassador on and off the field for our program," by BC head coach Jeff Hafley.
#1 - Kyle Pitts, Florida (6-6, 239 lbs.) - Pitts is to tight ends what Trevor Lawrence is to quarterbacks in this draft, the without-a-doubt No. 1 prospect at his position. The term "freak" absolutely applies. Pitts had a combined six TD receptions in his first two seasons with the Gators, then came back bigger and stronger and exploded for 12 as a junior in 2020. He caught 43 passes for 770 yards while in the process of amassing those 12 touchdown catches. His eight-catch, 170-yard, four-touchdown game against Mississippi included beating press coverage at the line of scrimmage, separating at the goal line and then going down to make a catch on a low-and-away ball at the pylon. The befuddled cornerback threw up his hands, suggesting a what-am-I-supposed-to-do-against-that level of frustration. Pitts also had seven receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown against Alabama.
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