| Summary
He may be the best athlete in the tight end group and seems to have a good deal of momentum entering the draft after an outstanding Indy workout where he ran 465 and posted a SS of 4.09 while having a VJ of 35 1/2". Those are outstanding numbers and he may pass some of the other TEs in front of him. He is a three year starter for the Sooners and finished 1997 with 29 catches for 450 yards and one TD in the Sooner's conservative offense. He has had some shoulder problems in the past, but it doesn't seem to be affecting him at this stage. He was an outstanding high school athlete that excelled in basketball and track and was a state high jump champion. He was probably somewhat wasted in the Oklahoma offense, but there is a real up side here. He had a solid Senior Bowl week and really impressed with his athleticism, although he struggled in the actual game and dropped several balls. As already mentioned, his AA and movement is probably his best attribute. He has the ability to stretch a defense, he gets off the ball quickly and he will compete down field. He has better than average blocking ability in space and is a pretty aggressive down field blocker. He has good hands and will show some concentration on the ball, and he is competitive. He is not an accomplished route runner at this stage, but much of the blame for that could be in Oklahoma's non-passing type offense. He will need route refinement work on the NFL level and he will need to improve his explosiveness. He is a position blocker and does a nice job, as mentioned, in space, but he is not as effective at the POA and he can be over powered by a strong DE. He will either have to get a little stronger or be used in a Shannon Sharp type role where he takes advantage of his speed and AA top stretch defenses and isn't necessarily counted on to be a blocker. He is also a guy that could be in an H back type role and could become very effective on the move. He is an interesting guy with a lot speed and AA and a huge up side.
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