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NFL Draft 2008: Rating the Tight Ends after the NFL Combine

Written by Rolando Cruz
Monday, 25 February 2008
Coming into the NFL Combine the conventional wisdom was that Notre Dame John Carlson would be the pick of the litter at the Tight End position. Yet this day and age a player's fortune, and Draft day position, can be either made or broken by their showing at the Combine. Such is the case with Carlson whose stock seems to have taken a hit after a relatively poor showing at this year's event. On the other hand, Purdue's Dustin Keller will probably see his stock rise after putting in a good day in Indianapolis. Here then is how the top Tight Ends in this year's NFL Draft stack up after this weekend's event. {mosimage} 1) Dustin Keller (Purdue): Keller was nothing short of electrifying at the 2008 NFL Combine. This prospect out of the University of Purdue posted a time of 4.55 in the 40, had a 38 inch vertical leap and did 26 reps on the bench. Relatively light for the position at 6-4, 240-pounds, and probably built more like an H-back, Keller is coming off an impressive career at Purdue. It is a career which saw him gain 881 yards on 68 catches last season, which came on the heels of an equally impressive junior year (56 catches, 771 yards). Saving some of his best performances for the big game, Keller had seven receptions for over 100 yards against Ohio State this season. If there is a down side. its that he has had shoulder surgery during his career. 2) John Carlson (Notre Dame): Perhaps the best blocking Tight End in the 2008 Draft ,and one with a great pair of hands, Carlson nevertheless ran some unimpressive times in the 40 at this year's event, his best coming in at a pedestrian 4.89. Still, for those who saw him play well for this year's disastrous Notre Dame team, Carlson still possess a great deal of upside. This 6-6, 255-pound player was an ESPN The Magazine 2007 Academic All-American, posting 60 catches for 721 yards and five touchdown for a less than stellar Notre Dame offense. 3) Fred Davis (USC) A very productive player at USC, Davis did nothing for his stock at this year's Combine, competing in only the bench press, where he managed 24 reps. At USC though, the 6-4, 250-pound Davis was extremely productive, leading the Trojans in receiving as a senior with 62 catches for 881 yards and 8 touchdowns. He topped off his college career with an impressive showing at the Rose Bowl where he caught seven passes and score once in USC's route of Illinois. 4) Jermichael Finley (Texas) Finley should have chosen to stay in school. The 6-4, 240-pound Texas sophomore could have been the number one Tight End prospect a few drafts from now. Instead he has declared early and might present a bit of risk to draft. Though there is no denying that he is a good receivers, as his 76 catches for 947 yards five touchdowns during his career would indicate. Still, age and a lackluster Combine won't make his stock climb any higher. 5) Brad Cottam (Tennessee) A monster of a Tight End at 6-8 and 271-pounds, who clocked a 4.63 in the 40. The downside is that he has missed a good portion of the last two seasons due to injuries. Still. he might be worth the risk since a decent showing in Indianapolis might alleviate some of the worry Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Website Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
Last Updated ( Monday, 25 February 2008 )