Top 50 NFL Prospects. Wowza, 3 TE's in Top 28. Good analysis.

[okeefe4prez]

I think TJ has shown that he can mix it up on the OL like Gronk and then post up or go across the middle in tons of traffic.

Correct. Dominant TEs have to be true threats as blockers and be able to chip freakishly talented ends and outside linebackers. The athleticism is so evenly matched at the NFL level that you need a mental advantage and that comes from uncertainty on the part of the defender who is assigned to the TE. That moment of hesitation where he sees a chip and thinks the TE is staying in as a blocker or where the TE engages as a blocker on a play action then quickly disengages is what separates the good TEs from the greats. Hock absolutely has that skillset to be great due to his skills as a blocker. A litany of things can happen to a kid from getting drafted to the wrong team or an injury, but if Hock lands on the right team and avoids injuries, he has a shot at being a Pro Bowl caliber player.

 

[revkev73]

I think Fant’s going to struggle somewhat in the NFL. More than Hockenson will, for sure.

Fant has tons of athleticism and physical ability, but his two biggest weaknesses are his hands and his blocking. It just so happens that in the NFL the two most important skills at TE are hands and blocking. I think TJ has shown that he can mix it up on the OL like Gronk and then post up or go across the middle in tons of traffic. We didn’t really see that with Fant (you can argue about why, but the fact remains).

I guess what I’m saying is that Fant beat college players by being a physical freak where TJ did it by using his TE-specific skill set. Fant could be in trouble because he’s entering a league made up of nothing but physical freaks. He’s not going to find (relative to him) slow LBs or DBs at the next level.

Has Fant show the ability to fight off physical contact in that first five yards around the line of scrimmage? This calls for strong hands, tenacity, technical ability before a fast player like Fant can run "free."

If Fant goes to the Packers, he should fit in, the place where perfect passes go to be dropped on the ground.

 

[revkev73]

Suh won't get credit for it, but I think the guy materially changed the game. When he was on Nebraska, he was completely unblockable and he kept them in games they had no business being in. He got a really bad rep in the NFL, but even at that level, he showed how much a star DT can improve a defense where common thinking was to spend all your money on an outside rush end. Then, Donald kicked it up. Seriously, if they called the line play on Donald straight up, the Rams would probably have gotten to 15 regular season wins and might even be barking up '73 Dolphins territory. The NFL is so hellbent on creating offense, though, that there's no way they call the Super Bowl straight up - if they do, Brady will be embarrassed.

Suh can clog things up, create interference in front of a QB, and is greatly assisted by Donald who draws two players lots of the time, who, consistently hold him. (easier to conceal if you have two on him)

I don't know NE well enough to intelligently predict how the line of scrimmage will go but the way to beat Brady is to knock him off his perch, so he doesn't have clear lines of sight and time to sit back comfortably.

The Rams have defensive talent and have a higher gear now that the game have more meaning. After a great season they coasted a bit, which is normal. 80% effort is easier than 100% especially if you have already won the division.

My hope is that Suh avoids a couple of "idiot plays."

 

[kicker22]

Suh won't get credit for it, but I think the guy materially changed the game. When he was on Nebraska, he was completely unblockable and he kept them in games they had no business being in. He got a really bad rep in the NFL, but even at that level, he showed how much a star DT can improve a defense where common thinking was to spend all your money on an outside rush end. Then, Donald kicked it up. Seriously, if they called the line play on Donald straight up, the Rams would probably have gotten to 15 regular season wins and might even be barking up '73 Dolphins territory. The NFL is so hellbent on creating offense, though, that there's no way they call the Super Bowl straight up - if they do, Brady will be embarrassed.

The guy's a physical freak with a definite mean streak, but IMO earned every bit of that reputation. Very rarely would I like to see a player injured, but I wouldn't flinch or be at all disappointed if him and/or Burfict, ended up getting seriously injured receiving one of the cheap shots that they love to dish out. Football's a physically dangerous sport as it is, but they take things way to far.

 

[N8theGr8]

I think the thing that gets Fant drafted is that he's basically a WR in a TE body. He has a 42 inch vertical, higher than anyone tested in the combine last year, and probably runs a 4.5 40. And he's 6'5. The fact that he can kind of block and played at Iowa make him a no-brainer.

 

[Ree4]

Did he ever miss a game to injury? I believe he even suffered a concussion and played the following week.

Not sure we should jump to conclusions and I honestly wouldn't begin to know what lines to read between. It was outwardly a strange situation this year regarding his usage.

Look, Ree provided us all with a video accusing Fant of basically being soft by falling before being tackled etc. I studied that video. Nonsense.

There were 24 catches on that video. 13 of those 24 catches went for 1st downs. 7 of those 13 1st down catches were on 3rd or 4th down. 7 of those 24 catches were touchdowns. So 20/24 catches on Ree's video were either for 1st downs or TD's.

My point? NFL guys are looking at his ability to create mismatches with his speed and his knack for making clutch catches. They aren't looking necessarily at his blocking ability are they? And I have no idea if he is "soft". Not even sure what that means in this context. And we have no idea if he will hold up to the pounding he will receive in the NFL. It is a violent game, even for TE's. Just ask CJ Fiedorowicz, Dallas Clark, or even Gronk.

He is probably a hybrid TE in the NFL. Like all skill players it is critical he gets drafted by a team that knows how to best utilize his skills.

One more thing. After watching Fant's highlight video it reminded me of how unstoppable he was when put in motion. Impossible to cover off the line of scrimmage as opponents had to respect his speed. Why didn't BF use that more? Why didn't Fant get targeted in the Penn St game until well into the 4th quarter? And he made an immediate impact.

I think the criticism is valid that we had two very special TE's (the best tandem in Iowa history and possibly 1st rd NFL picks) yet only won 8 games with them. And an elite defense to boot. ??

Nah that isn't what I was saying at all, good job misinterpreting the entire post and taking 4 words completely out of context. The whole point was that Fant has physical tools but doesn't use them well. He used his speed to beat college players, something that will be a lot tougher to accomplish in the NFL and he'll have to adapt. Will he? Possibly, but I think Hock will have the better NFL career.