2013 Comprehensive NFL Draft Database

[SemperFi Skins]

I see the hands, but I certainly don't see quick feet.

He accelerates smoothly, plays fast. He was expected to run a 4.6 at the combine but the abdominal injury caused him to not run it. His brother came out and stated he'd be ready for his pro-day on March 13, definitely something to watch.

45 catches, 722 yards, and 8 td's in his senior year puts him near tops in production for TE's.

If he runs his expected 40 time, the only faster TE would be Chris Gragg, Matt Furstenberg, and Jake Stoneburner... but neither of them have the same blocking ability either... He's a hybrid TE. Can play the blocker or the "joker."

[Skins199021]

Round 2: Terrence Williams WR
Round 3: D.J. Swearinger SS
Round 4: Tyrann Mathieu CB
Round 5: Ace Sanders WR
Round 5: Joseph Fauria TE
Round 6: A.J. Francis DE
Round 7: Brandon Williams NT

Terrence Williams adds an outside threat that could start soon and has experience with RG3, bigger guy too.

Swearinger would be a nice safety prospects to have with good ball skills. Mathieu would be a very nice slot cover guy to have

Sanders would be a great punt returner and maybe even a slot guy on offense.

The last 3 are developmental guys

[Monk4thaHALL]

It is possible to like multiple players at one position. There are however elements of ability which always separate the guys.

The best overall TE in the class, is Eifert, at least to me. He performed throughout the year on game film, had the production, showed good hands and good technique, plus he showed the spark of athleticism by leaping for a ball and running after a catch. Then he came to the Combine and performed the best, athletically, out of the top guys. So he's # 1.

I don't believe that Ertz is better than Fleener from last year. And that's just an eyeball test. I don't see his length and I don't get wowed by his athletic measurables, though solid. He seemed steady on film and steady throughout his drills. So I have him # 2, based really on the rest of the class, as opposed to him really owning it. Basically I'm kind-of so-so on Ertz. I recognize him and rank him tied # 2 in the class, but I don't really foresee myself actually selecting him. I take Eifert over him hands down.

The best hands in the class are Escobar, "hands down." That's just from the standpoint of watching the guys catch the ball. I watched plenty of San Diego State over the last few years and this guy on film looks like a Pro when catching the ball. That's why I have him tied for # 2 overall, in the TE class, with Ertz. It's not based on athleticism. I saw plenty of examples on film where Escobar, after the catch, was lacking that gear which Eifert showed. Eifert is a runner, sort-of "gazelle," (comparatively) for lack of a better word. It's really comes down to his Speed.

So there is a trade-off sometimes from getting a good to spectacular pass catcher and losing some athleticism, in turn. Just like when you get enamored with the "athlete," sometimes you don't get the consistency, or the health, or the overall technique - specifically the Hands.

Escobar has the softest, most reliable, sticky hands. It's not his athleticism. He will catch the ball away from the body, and the hands just devour the ball. Escobar is better as a pass catcher than he is as a blocker, right now.

In terms of blocking, I see it simply as he needs to just develop more functional strength. You look at him, he's skinny, he's lean, just not really muscular. Just getting him bulked and stronger and muscular, that alone I believe will make him a better blocker. His angles are fine, his technique has seemed fine to me, but he's just not a powerful person, yet. He has the frame for it, but he's still green. So aside from not having the grand athleticism, he brings plus hands. And that's the name of the game: Throw the football, catch the football. Overall Escobar is tied for # 2 on my TE board.


McDonald doesn't have near the hands that Escobar does. You saw the bobbles and fumbles at Rice and you saw the bobbles at the Combine. McDonald is more physically put together than say Escobar, and he showed good measurables at the Combine. However, he doesn't have the same consistency in securing the ball, or again, not the same level of hands. And his role at Rice was kind of hybrid, so you really didn't get to see a full spectrum of routes or in-line blocking that you otherwise would have liked to see. Overall I have him after Eifert, Ertz and Escobar. He's # 3 for me, based on his athleticism and decent pass catching, but also the running ability after the catch. But I could see how some question marks on his production may allow for him to slide.


Kelce is solid overall as a football player. He's steady at making a catch and he's good at blocking. His top marks come from run blocking. He can move fluidly in the open field and stick with a block while engaged in motion. That's the good. The routes however are simplistic and really basic. I feel he's utilitarian After the Catch. You don't get spectacular after the catch ability. He's content on just getting whatever is there. So don't expect dynamic playmaking, unless it's a schematic wrinkle in which he get totally freed up. And there's also something in the way he runs (mechanically), when at full speed. I don't know exactly what it is, but his legs seem to do some slightly funky motion in his stride. Overall he's my # 4 on the TE board.


Gragg showed great athleticism at the Combine. And like the low hanging fruit, it's easy to see a guy that physically well put together and available later and you think, "why not?" - Well, durability is a question mark. He's had injury. That's number 1. Can he stay healthy?

But from watching the film, I don't have to tell you, because we have smart people here on ES, but I'll tell you anyway, Gragg is not nearly as natural a pass catcher as Escobar. He allows the ball to travel up to his body, even in those times when he's primarily using his hands to make a catch. Essentially he really doesn't extend his arms away from his body to make catch. That's observation # 1.

And he does rely upon his body to make the catch more then you'd like. Or otherwise he just can't change his technique. And it doesn't come down to stats, passes dropped vs caught, because I'm not even looking at stats, it comes down to technique and the hands.

Also, Gragg rounds-off his routes. His breaks aren't as sharp as you would like from such a stellar physical athlete, someone who can obviously run as fast as he can. He sort-of glides into his breaks, not sharp or sudden turns. So he doesn't take advantage of his athletic superiority. Average defenders can stick with him on routes that break direction. I also question just how his motor runs. Because I saw the urgency in which he ran his 40 - looked good. But that "urgency" was not always present when you watched the average play, of the average Arkansas game - imo.

With all the ability in the world, I'd say he's an average blocker. I'm really so-so on his blocking skill. I want to see more nastiness more consistently. Really the aspect of his blocking which sticks out to me as needing improvement is just sustaining the block, sticking with it, rather than sliding off or just flat out stopping (motor again).

Comparatively on Route running, Escobar is better. Comparatively on pass catching technique, Escobar is better. And I'd say just about each of the other "Top - 5" TEs on my board, block better than he. So I go with the more solid football player more often than not.

I like Gragg, but I know what my eyes are saying. Even though Escobar is no-where near the "athlete" that Gragg is, I think he's better.

Overall Gragg is # 5 on my board and that seems to be higher than some other people. So I like him, to an extent. I saw that crazy athleticism he showed at the Combine, but we all know the the cautionary tales of just selecting athletes that are not the sum of their parts.


This is what I posted a few days ago:

February-23rd-2013 01:21 PM

This is my top 5 TE list:

1. Eifert
T-2. Ertz
T-2. Escobar
3. McDonald
4. Kelce
5: Gragg

I've made some posts in the past, giving info on Escobar : Here

People should know by now that I like him as a prospect. And people can draw their own conclusion.

---------- Post added March-1st-2013 at 03:10 PM ----------


Sometimes there is such a thing as an unacceptable loss of level of ability, in certain criteria, that can never be made up, just from pure athleticism. You know.

It's one thing to see value in a player who is available later and yet we all know what it looks like when we someone who performs better, at a higher level, at the primary function. In this case: Catching the ball.

In other circumstances, it's blocking or throwing ... You don't say, "hey that QB over there, that can run a 4.4 and can block like a TE and can cut like a RB, I really want him to throw the ball 40+ times, when his passing ability is lacking. You know?

Just simplify the traits to the primary functions of the role / position.

I'm trying to find the words here and I can't. Basically sometimes chalk wins. Sometimes the higher rated player out performs the value pick.

And just one note here. When I brought up Escobar, he was off the national radar. I projected 4th round based upon my Comp, which was Pitta.

Now, if everyone else around here wants to call him a 2nd rounder, so be it, that's not how I'd go about it.

I would select him in the 3rd. Just like I have written before (can't find the post) but I've said before that while I thought he could be had as a 4th rounder, I was inclined to select him prior to that, because of the hands that I saw.

So if the detractors are artificially inflating his draft stock, in order to create a non-existent situation in order to pan it, then that's on them. I say that selecting Escobar at # 74 is good, # 85 is also good. I would not select him at # 51.

[Alcoholic Zebra]

I don't believe that Ertz is better than Fleener from last year. And that's just an eyeball test. I don't see his length

This could be because he's got the shortest arms out of the TE's in this years class. No wait, he's tied with the Maryland TE for shortest arms.

What do you think of Escobar as a blocker? I'm kind of seeing him being solid as a stationary guy, get out of the stance and block the guy in front of you. But it seems like he's not the best at blocking on the move or squaring up with someone in space. I'm not sure how he'd fit our blocking scheme.

[skinzwiz]

Round 2: Terrence Williams WR
Round 3: D.J. Swearinger SS
Round 4: Tyrann Mathieu CB
Round 5: Ace Sanders WR
Round 5: Joseph Fauria TE
Round 6: A.J. Francis DE
Round 7: Brandon Williams NT

Terrence Williams adds an outside threat that could start soon and has experience with RG3, bigger guy too.

Swearinger would be a nice safety prospects to have with good ball skills. Mathieu would be a very nice slot cover guy to have

Sanders would be a great punt returner and maybe even a slot guy on offense.

The last 3 are developmental guys

I can dig that. Would like to get a RB though.

[Monk4thaHALL]

...
Round 7: Brandon Williams NT

I really don't see that happening. Unless I missed something major, like he just got injured or arrested. He's solidly been in the 3rd for me for a looooooong time.

[Skins199021]

I really don't see that happening. Unless I missed something major, like he just got injured or arrested. He's solidly been in the 3rd for me for a looooooong time.

oh alright yea I kind of just went to NTs on walter football, and I had seen him play before and he was projected at 5-7 so I just did that. So yea i could be very misinformed on him.

[Monk4thaHALL]

This could be because he's got the shortest arms out of the TE's in this years class. No wait, he's tied with the Maryland TE for shortest arms.

Yea, I pointed that out on Combine day between Ertz and Escobar, their compared arm lengths.

What do you think of Escobar as a blocker? I'm kind of seeing him being solid as a stationary guy, get out of the stance and block the guy in front of you. But it seems like he's not the best at blocking on the move or squaring up with someone in space. I'm not sure how he'd fit our blocking scheme.

Well, we're a Veer Option team when we have our main guy at the helm. So blocking at angles on the edge and squaring someone up and just being nasty, at the very least being able to shield will get it done. Ideally you want someone who can take the POA and drive the defender backward. So power and pop is ideal.

But I think the edge blockers in our new system need to have that short area radius pop at the POA, moreso than being a "runner" like in shanahan's standard O, the zone-stretch. But it's also both. We run both styles, have multiple looks, so you do need that person to have the ability to move in space on stretch. So I agree that having someone who can run in space and lay a block, whether it's a backside cut or a downfield latch, whatever, is important.

I really don't know how to project physical development of a player. So I can't really guess what Escobar will turn into. If he adds the muscle does he get even slower ...? If he adds the functional strength does he keep the flexibility ...? Maybe everything improves with the development of his body. Maybe he gets a step quicker just from the explosive training and muscle development. IDK.

I mean, that's why when I look at the TE class, I had to mention Kelce and McDonald, because both look more fluid as runners than Escobar. And that fluidity helps both those guys get those blocks in space while running. Kelce is a better blocker than Escobar, right now.

But then again, that could just be a function of their development / age. Escobar is after all entering early. He is however a redshirt Junior, with 3 years starting experience (4 years in the program) and 3 years decoration in the MWC (1x 2nd team, 2x 1st team). So he's got experience but you can see that he doesn't have much muscle development (compared to the NFL). Though that frame seems to be pretty solid and I like the hypothesis that he can develop the body.

[ixcuincle]

I hope Teo keeps dropping. Redskins could use a LB, especially if London retires.

[martytheman]

Here's something, Shanahan almost never drafts a TE. As near as I can tell, he's only drafted 5 TE's ever. 2 in the 7th round. 2 in the 6th round. And the only one drafted high was Tony Scheffler as a 2nd rounder in 2006 (pick 61).

The years Shanahan has drafted a TE are 1999, 2002, and 2006. This probably means he wouldn't draft a TE before Day 3.

you forgot Dennis Morris in 2010.
His highlight reel was amazing, too bad he couldn't make it past camp.

[Dukes and Skins]

Round 2: Terrence Williams WR
Round 3: D.J. Swearinger SS
Round 4: Tyrann Mathieu CB
Round 5: Ace Sanders WR
Round 5: Joseph Fauria TE
Round 6: A.J. Francis DE
Round 7: Brandon Williams NT

Terrence Williams adds an outside threat that could start soon and has experience with RG3, bigger guy too.

Swearinger would be a nice safety prospects to have with good ball skills. Mathieu would be a very nice slot cover guy to have

Sanders would be a great punt returner and maybe even a slot guy on offense.

The last 3 are developmental guys

There is 0% chance that Brandon Williams goes round 7

[JamesMadisonSkins]

Tiller's mock draft on HogsHaven is my favorite so far:
2: Justin Hunter, WR Tenn
3: Bacarri Rambo, S Georgia
4: Tyrann Mathieu, CB LSU
5: Xavier Nixon, OT Florida
5: Ray Ray Armstrong, S Miami
6: Jake Stoneburner, TE Ohio State
7: Mike Mauti, ILB Penn State

[JamesMadisonSkins]

If I had to change his at all, I might go:
2: David Amerson, CB NC State
3: Ryan Swope, WR Texas A&M
4: TJ McDonald, FS USC
5: Xavier Nixon/Kyle Long, OT
5: Ray Ray Armstrong, S Miami
6: BPA
7: BPA

Sign ILB Brad Jones (London retires), Greg Toler (Hall released), Corey Lynch as your three main FAs

[maskedsuperstar]

I'm questioning Rambo's ability and effort when closing in on a ballcarrier. Shamarko gives his all, Rambo doesn't.

Shamarko definitely isnt afraid of contact and I posted a video to prove it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqGInqjGhz4

Rambo doesn't like contact.

[Dukes and Skins]

I honestly dont get the infatuation with Ray Ray Armstrong. Spending a 7th is one thing but a 5th? No way